Camp Halfblood: Madness Ensues
by Mr. Sobriquet
Summary: After a camper dies, Glen Faulkner must travel across America to defeat a monster so powerful that even Percy Jackson could not beat. He must also fight the berserk rages that continue to take over him. Will Glen succeed, or will his madness consume him?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Tip

I didn't want to get expelled. I _did_ want to punch Reid Green. But I had already done that. And as a result I was going to get expelled. With a flash of guilt I remember what had happened.

"Hey, Glenny," smirked Reid. He and his friends walked behind him. They weren't exactly strong, but they had strength in numbers. "Where's my lunch money?"

Lunch money. Ridiculous. Reid's family was rich. He only did this because he was a bored kid with too much money. No one in their right mind would oppose him, just because his dad had money.

But the crux of the matter is that I might not be in the right mind. It runs in the family. But I didn't know it at the time.

Reid had moved on from my lunch money. It was an empty question. "Nice _shirt_," he said. I looked at my shirt. It was okay, but not exactly designer.

"Bet your mom can by you nice clothes like that." Again, the smirk. "Being a waitress and all." Sarcasm.

I can feel a strange pressure between my ears. I'm about to snap at him. But I have to hold it in.

"And who's you Daddy? Some drunken idiot, hm?"

My head pounds, but not from pain, but an ache of anger. My vision is blurred, and my attention is only on Reid. I never knew my father. It's a sore subject. And Reid knows it.

"I bet your dad didn't even marry your mom. I bet that you're a little bastar-,"

Too far. My vision goes dark red and I feel the rush of wild adrenaline. Before I know it, Reid is pinned against a locker, my hand on his neck. His mouth opens, screams. But his lackeys don't do anything. They've never been threatened before. Then again, I'm new to the school.

Already the rage fades. I'm left there, blood pounding and a sour taste in my mouth. I consider letting go of Reid. Just another few seconds. Then I let go.

I leave the school, and get a taxi ride. To Romano's.

Romano's is a restaurant. An Italian one. I sit there, at the waiting area for a couple of hours. Then a woman walks to me, a waitress. Curly hair tied in a ponytail, a weary look and a spark in her eyes, the pretty woman sighs. "Expelled again?"

"The notification comes tomorrow. Usually."

"I know." We look at each other for a while. I cave in to the silence.

"Sorry, Mom."

My mother sighs, and her weariness becomes more pronounced. She ordinarily looks younger then she is, but today it's older. "It's only been two weeks, sweetie."

I feel a lump in my throat. "Sorry." And then we drive home.

In the car I'm miserable. Mom turns on the ignition and we hit the road. Driving through Los Angeles, I ask my Mom a timeless question.

"What was Dad like?" depending on her mood, my mom changes her opinion. I'm curious though, and now seems like a good time to ask.

"He was the worst." Ah, she's in a bad mood. I'm quiet for a while, and look at the rearview mirror. Mom is tan, but I'm a more pale color skinned. Mom calls it Mediterranean. She said, on a rare occasion, that I got it from my dad.

"Guess what," she says, and I flinch. Almost nothing actually scares me, but Mom fights through even my rages.

"What?"

"I got a really good tip today." I smile. It's a joke. Every time she gets a good tip she thinks it's a bad omen. I've gotten expelled on those days. It was our little joke.

She smiles too, but then it goes away. She says "Glen, I don't think you can stay here."

I look at her, and tears fleck my eyes. "I can't stay? Is it because of my anger? Or all those creepy monster-like guys?" I choke out. "Are you telling me that-,"

"_No_." The force in her voice is clearly audible. She drives and parks her car at a corner. She holds my hand. "Glen, I love you. More than anything else in the world." She says it fiercely, but I see sadness in her eyes. "But you have to go to where you belong. To New York."


	2. Chapter 2:

Chapter 2: Empire State of Monstrous Chicken Bird Things

New York. It's big, noisy, and cold. I hate it already. Yet I'm excited at the prospect. My mom promised me that I could see my dad if I go to this camp. At the airport I see a man hold up a sign. It says "Glen Faulkner," so naturally I walk up to it.

"You're here! Great!" the man says, curly hair bunched up under a cap. He seems unnaturally excited, as if my exile from my home is a thing to be celebrated. As we walk to his Prius I notice the limp in his legs.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Hm? Oh, fine. Just fine. Want a Coke?" I take one, and drink it. When I'm done, the man looks at the can strangely.

"Do you…want this?" I motioned to the can.

"Oh, no. I'm just a little hungry." I stare, but don't comment. I throw the Coke can in a trash can. And apparently the man doesn't like that. He grumbles something about recycling. We reach the car and I freeze.

There's a monster chicken cat on the hood. It stares at me with red eyes. I stare back.

"The gods," breathes the man. "A gryphon."

The gryphon looks scary. With the body of a mountain lion and wings and head of an eagle, it looks ready to either maul me or turn me into birdseed. Then it leaps at me.

The man pushes me away and I stumble back. The gryphon swipes a claw knocking the man's hat off. Out of his curly hair two horns poke out.

What in the world?

"Run!" he yelled panting. "I'll distract him." He takes off his shoes and I see hooves. _Hooves_.

"What the he-," I yell, but he stops me.

"Take this," he says quickly, and hands me a golden coin. And a dagger. I stare at him, but he goes on. "Summon the Gray Sisters with the coin. Say _Stop, Chariot of Damnation_ and they'll appear. Ask to go to Camp Half-Blood. And-," he takes in a sharp breath. "If I don't make it, tell Jasmine that Lau gave her this." he hands me a seed. Lau or whatever his name is smiles bravely. "Go. They'll love you at camp." And then he sprints to the gryphon.

I run. As I get to the street I shout, "Stop, Chariot of Damnation." I hold up the coin. Nothing happens. I throw it to the ground in frustration. To my surprise it sinks in. A gray taxi appears out of the asphalt. I stare.

"I ordered a chariot." That's all I can think of to say. A voice snaps at me.

"In New York? The traffic is bad enough already! Come in!"

I get in. Three ugly women look at me from up front of the cab. I shudder. When I say look, I mean the turned their faces to my general direction. Only one of them had an eye. And it wasn't the driver.

"Give it to me, Tempest!" screeched the driver.

"No!" said Tempest. "I got it, fair and square."

"You stole it from me!" complained the third sister.

The driver turned to her sister. "Shut up, Wasp!"

Wasp turns to the driver. "Be quiet, Anger! I didn't get it when I was driving that Jackson kid last time! Why should you get it?"

"Mother always liked me best," huffed Anger.

"Ha! I was always the prettiest," interjected Tempest.

Usually I would get irritated at this, but if you add seventy miles per hour to the equation you get nervousness. "Now ladies, calm down. You are all ugly."

The ladies turn to me. Tempest glares. "Which one of us is the prettiest? Tell us, and we will tell you about your family."

My family? I needed to know about my dad. But my gut feeling tells me that these ladies won't tell me until I satisfy all of them. Or maybe if all of them are threatened…and an idea pops up.

"Say, ladies, I'd love to judge you all on prettiness, but with my poor vision…,"

"Here, use my eye," offers Tempest. Anger and Wasp scream, but it's too late. The disgusting eyeball is in my hand. I grin.

"Excellent. Now tell me about my family, and I'll give it back." More wailing. Finally, Anger caves in.

"Fine we will tell you. Your mother-,"

"I want to know about my father," I say, frustrated.

The Gray Sisters shake their heads. "We cannot say."

Anger fills me up. The emotion, not the hag. "I KNOW MY MOM, TELL ME ABOUT MY DAD!"

And then a sharp sound pierces the air. I look out the window. It's the gryphon.

And on his beak is the tattered remains of Lau's orange shirt.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Attack of the Purple Ninja

I'm scared. For the first time ever, I'm scared. This gryphon thing is going to kill me. It killed Lau, and I get the feeling that I'm next. The Gray Sisters squabble, but I ignore it. The gryphon zeroes in on me, and it circles over the cab despite the speed. I should run. Or scream. Or hide.

But it killed Lau. A stranger who died for me. I open the door. The Gray Sisters look at me with their eye sockets. "What are you doing?"

I gulp, but don't look at them. I focus on the gryphon. The air rushes at my face. "Wait for me," I tell the sisters. "Wait for me. If I'm alive, I'll give you back the eye."

The sisters start wailing. "He's going to die! We'll never get our eye back." That was my vote of confidence. Great.

I stand tentatively, my leg halfway out the car. The wind blows fiercely and I'm panicking. The Gryphon turns his head to me and I know that its kill time. Strangely my ADHD isn't going haywire. I'm focused on the Gryphon. But then my sense panic intensifies even more, and then suddenly the strangest thing happens.

I relax. There is no tension. I feel great, euphoric. A smile breaks out on my face. The Gray Sisters gasp, as if sensing something. I look at myself.

I'm glowing purple. Great. Now everybody will respect me. Nothing more commanding then a kid shining purple. And yet, I see things clearly and more defined. Colors become vibrant. I note the gryphon's sharp beak. Hooked, to kill the prey in one fell swoop. I laugh, uncaring. This sense of power in me was overwhelming. I felt like I could do anything.

The gryphon swooped down with a shriek. Its plummeting dive is ready to snatch me up and tear me into oblivion. I laugh again. The gryphon moves so _slowly_. I know it's actually moving fast, but my reaction speed has somehow sped up.

I jump effortlessly, landing on the gryphon. It squawks and spirals out of control, and I am hanging on for life. Suddenly, it charges toward a building. It's trying to knock me off.

I get ready and as I speed toward the wall I push off the gryphon. The chicken cat crashes into the building. Unfortunately, my leap carried me toward the wall. I have an impending fate of crashing, and yet the only thing I feel is the excitement of some super adrenaline. In the back of my mind I wonder what I'm going to do.

A split second passes and I touch the wall with my hand. I feel my hand and two feet touch the wall with my unreal reaction senses. Then I push off the wall, launching myself at the gryphon. The dagger flashes out, a blur of bronze.

And all this happens in a matter of seconds. We hit the asphalt, hard. The moment I plunge the dagger into the gryphon it explodes. I find myself sitting on the ground with yellowish monster powder all over me. And the only thing that I'm thinking is _did I just wall jump_?

I get up, and then fall down. My adrenaline fades, and I don't feel normal. I'm exhausted. My vision turns black and I crash, face planting on gravel. Ouch. My world fades to black.

When I wake up after nearly dying I want to be groomed by kind doctors and pretty nurses. I got something else instead.

"By Tartarus! WAKE up!" screeched a voice in my ears. I groan and get up. My head is pounding, I'm seeing spots, and my throat is painfully dry.

Ugh. "Where am I?"

"Camp Half-Blood. That's where you wanted to go. Or has that fall made you dumb?" Wasp, the Gray Sister, is looming over me. I get my bearings and realize that I'm still in the cab. Outside is a hill and on it is a massive pine tree. Something golden is on it, and the bright shine hurts my eyes. I think about how beyond that point would be rest, a sanctuary of peace. Then I see the dragon.

"Oh, come on!" I yell, exasperated. "How do I get past _that_?"

"Not our problem," replies Anger. "Three drachma," she says, hand open.

I stare. "I already paid you."

"Yes, but you've been unconscious for hours. Our parking meter fee is _enormous_." I wonder if the ransom eyeball will help me. Then Tempest looks at me, and I freeze. She has the eye.

"We got it off you earlier. Now are you going to pay?" suddenly the sisters seem dangerous, as if a dark shadow is looming over them. I wonder what I'm going to do, but before the fear registers, a hand taps on the windows. Anger tries to open the window, but she can't find the button without an eye.

The hand punches through the window. The Gray Sisters scream. The outstretched hand opens showing 3 golden coins. Trembling, Tempest picks up the drachma. I see the open palm and gasp. There's an eye on it. It scans the cab and then sees me. The hand opens the door, and I get out.

I'm in for another shock. If the Gray Sisters need more eyes, this guy is the person to ask. He looks like a surfer, but blue eyes cover his body. He has a tough look on his face. But the steely gaze softens, and suddenly I'm getting at a lot of sympathetic looks from just one person-thing. He motions to me, and I follow. We climb the hill.


	4. Chapter 4

Percy Jackson Project

Chapter 4: I Become a TV Star

Camp Half-Blood is amazing. The many eyed guy walks along silently but I take the time to view my surroundings. Not only was it perfectly sunny while New York was cloudy, but it looked so peaceful. People playing on the volleyball courts. A building where kids in orange shirts made marble busts. Thankfully, we didn't walk far as I was still tired.

We stopped at a huge house, and circled around the porch. A man in a wheelchair came up to us. "Argus," he said, frowning. "Shouldn't you be patrolling the borders?"

Argus made a few gestures, and the eyes on his forearm made a sideways glance at me. The man nodded. "I see." He said. Then he turned to me. "Welcome to Camp. I am Chiron, and you my friend, are part god."

I stared at him. Yeah I seemed to be doing that a lot. "Okay."

He nodded. "Okay." We waited a few seconds. Then he started talking again. "I'm sorry. I've said this so many times now that I just thought the dramatic wind up wasn't worth it." With that said, he morphed into part human and part horse. And then I got a lecture about Greek myths.

"…and in conclusion, all Greek myths are real." I sit there in a state of amazement and just dull weariness. Chiron notices this and offers me a drink. It's golden and I take a sip. Instantly I feel better. Chiron smiles at me, and I feel a warm feeling inside me.

"Now, what about a tour of the camp? Usually we have Annabeth Chase guiding the tour, but Jenny offered today so-,"

Out of nowhere a pretty girl of about sixteen pops up. She smiles and she's practically bouncing with energy. Her blond ponytail bounces up and down and I can't help but cringe at her enthusiasm. I'm sorry, but sunny people just don't appeal to me.

"Hi, I'm Jenny, daughter of Hebe," she says chattily. "And I'll be leading the tour today. I am so excited by this. Now if lets go. If you look left…,"

I follow her for quite a while, but I can't help but feel a little irritated by all the talking coming out her mouth. She talks far too fast for me to even fully comprehend her. At last we tour the cabins.

"Those cabins are for the Big Three. They are very powerful gods," says bubbly Jenny. "And those are some minor god cabins we may be small but we're still special!"

Special. I wonder if she likes being special. I doubt being a daughter of Hebe would be considered special at this camp. No gryphon riding for her anytime soon. We passed by another round of the cabins, and this time she showed me the Hermes Cabin. "You'll be staying here until you're claimed," she said. "Usually it takes a while, but how old are you again?"

"Fourteen." Jenny smiled.

"Great! You should be claimed anytime now then!" That was encouraging. Sort of. We headed off until we saw a bunch of campers at Hephaestus cabin. When we go there the group was chatting loudly.

"What's happening?" I asked.

"Freak accident in New York today," replied a camper. "Hephaestus cabin has a TV."

Another camper shouted, "Hey, Leo, are you done yet?"

A Latino boy scowled. "Almost there, I'm tuning it. The Iris signal is good though," he said pointing to the rainbow static sparking between the antennae of the TV. Several glass prisms were surrounding the TV reflecting rainbow off the screen.

Finally an image appears and the logo 'Hephaestus TV' turns on. A person on the television says "_Brought to you directly from __New York__, uncensored or Misted_." Loud whoops of excitement sound through the air.

The TV shows a gray cab speeding on a road and my heart nearly stops. I hope it doesn't show my face, but Hephaestus TV has some crazy resolution. I see myself open the speeding cab's door.

"Holy Zeus, he's jumping out!" shouted a camper. There was laughter.

I saw the fear on my face. And then I glowed purple. My face flushed red in embarrassment. More laughter. Some people look disturbed though. I look at my face on the screen. My eyes are wild and maniacal. My smiling is creepy. My laugh gives me shivers.

"Crazy kid," muttered a buff looking girl. Probably from Ares.

I jumped off the cab and on the screen I'm a blur of purple. "What the Hades?" rings out everywhere. I'm stunned by my speed. Did I really do that? I see the gryphon pinwheel as I land on it, the streak of violet as I hit the wall and bounce off. The awed silence when I kill the gryphon.

"That was cool," whispered a kid. Onscreen, I face plant to the ground. Dang it.

Some people laugh, but others look nervous. I should probably keep a low profile. A girl from Aphrodite speaks up.

"He's kind of cute." Then again, who needs a low profile? A girl with blond hair and gray eyes stares intently at the screen. Her eyes tell me she's a kid from Athena. At last she speaks up.

"That kid's a half-blood, right? Is he at camp right now?" People turn and look around. I turn and try to slink back to the big house. Maybe no one will notice.

"Ohmygods, that was you, Glen!" squeaks Jenny. Zeus Almighty. People stare at me. I'm suddenly aware of how much people are around me.

Before I have to say something, however, a snide voice says, "And who's the new kid?"

People swivel their heads and I find myself looking at a pudgy guy with what looks like a hangover. He looks toward me. "What's your name?"

"Glen Faulkner." There's a pause.

"Do you play pinochle?"

"Does that have anything to do with a wooden puppet who wants to be a real boy?"

"No." the pudgy dude rolled his eyes. "I pray there is hope for you, Faulkner."

"So do I. The gods like to ignore me, though."

"I _do_ find you disagreeable."

It took me a second to realize that this was the infamous Mr. D. The girl with the gray eyes spoke up. "Mr. D, can I talk to Glen for a moment?"

Mr. D rolled his eyes again. "Whatever, Annalee." Then he walked off to the Big House, leaving the camp to gossip by itself.

Annalee turned to me. "Are you the kid on the news?"

"Yeah," I admitted.

She nodded. "Okay. I'm Annabeth."

"I thought you were Annalee."

"Mr. D likes to get names wrong. But tell me, what power was that?" I shrug, but give her the details of what happened. Annabeth frowns. "Your parent is a male god. I don't think he's one of the Big Three, but you might be the child of Ares. That's the closest counterpart for you." Seeing my expression she responded, "Don't worry. We'll find a cabin for you. In the mean time I think you should talk to Jasmine."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: A Tree Tries to Kill Me

Annabeth and I walked into the woods of camp. I was feeling uncomfortable, but not because of the forest. It was because of this Jasmine person. I recall Lau saying her name, and I remember the way he said it. Tender, and with care. No doubt Jasmine was a special person.

And I was about to tell her that Lau was dead. Great. We reach a tree, and Annabeth stops. "Jasmine," she calls out.

Out of the tree a form melts out. I see a slender girl of about 18 with green eyes and flowing hair. She wears a white dress. She smiles gently. "Annabeth. How nice to see you. But tell me, where is Lau? He should be back now."

Annabeth shifts uncomfortably. "Well you see, Jasmine, Lau isn't here. But the camper he brought back…,"

Jasmines' eyes flickered towards me. "Do you mean, he's-," her voice trembles, "he's dead?"

Silence. I remember what Lau told me to do. I take the seed out of my pocket. "He wanted me to give you this."

Jasmine takes the seed and plants it in the ground. She utters a blessing and soon a sapling starts to grow. "A laurel," she murmured, "just like his namesake." Then she looks at me and I am taken aback. There's a hate in her eyes, something very untree-like.

"You did this to him."

My eyes widened. "What? No! He died while-,"

"Protecting you. You're a demigod aren't you? Why didn't you kill it before Lau died? Aren't you a hero? It's your fault."

"No, I-,"

"_It's your entire fault_!"

"_No, it's not, so shut up_!" I snarled, rage seeping into me.

Annabeth steps between the two of us. "Stop it, you two. It's no ones fault."

Jasmine sneers. "Oh please," she says, "if Percy died you would be feeling the same way I am. You just don't understand." She turns to me. "You had better watch out, demigod."

Annabeth opens her mouth in warning, but I ignore it. "Pelt me with all the acorns you want, tree. Leave me alone, or I'll turn you into a chair." Jasmine gives me a look, and then she disappears in a puff of smoke.

I spent the rest of the day trying not to make enemies. A hard feat given my temper. It's a lot to handle. I'm miserable about Lau. I knew that he died because of me, but it hadn't occurred to me that it was my entire fault. And now I feel guilty.

A sudden burn pain touches my hand and I yelp. Rock climbing. I had almost forgotten. I scale the wall quickly, the lava at my heels. I sighed as I reached the top.

Rock climbing was no problem. As was running with the nymphs, who giggled along as we ran. I enjoyed their company.

Chiron says I have general athleticism, which is his way of saying he has no idea which cabin I belong in. Archery did not go that great; and neither did Arts and Crafts. The Forge was too hot for me to bear, and canoeing was a bore.

I scale down the wall and go to the fields. The strawberries are delicious. Then I check my schedule and go to sword practice.

"Adjust your grip," says Chris Rodriguez as his sword touches the tip of my throat. "It'll take a while for you to get used to."

But I don't think that's the problem. It's the freaking _sword's_ problem. No matter what I do I can't get a good swing in. Swords are just not for me. And this armor is way too heavy.

"Take a break," Chris suggests. I scowl and fling off my armor. I send the sword toppling to the ground. Some kids watching boo for bad sportsmanship. A few Ares kids start taunting me, and I get that familiar sense of uncontrolled anger within me.

I turn to Chris. "Let's get on with this again."

He looks at me. "Are you sure?" he asks. "I can't let you fight me without a proper weapon or armor."

I smile at him, but my patience is wearing thin. I can see those Ares kids jeering out of the corner of my eye. "Come on. Just swing at me."

Chris hesitates, but then raises his sword. He swings. I duck, and feel the wind whoosh as the sword swings by. My heart pounds wildly. I can feel the power of each stroke, trying to kill me.

Then the adrenaline kicks in. That same feeling I got when fighting the gryphon is happening. That unmistakable joy, that same flighty feeling. I'm encased in purple, parts of the color trailing off of me. And I laugh loudly.

My laugh rings across the arena and I see all eyes on me. Chris swings again, but I easily sidestep it. It's so _slow_. I can see him sweating and that uncertain fear in his eyes. He slashes at me, but I move in, and disarm him with my hands.

Before he can react, my fist smashes into his helmet. It doesn't hurt me a bit, but it jars him. I laugh again. This is so _easy_. My hand bashes on the helmet. Once. Twice. Chris stumbles, but I don't stop. My fist is raised, and-

A hand grabs me from behind and slams me onto the ground. I stop glowing, and I feel exhausted. Spots dance in front of my eyes. I groan, but the muscular girl who threw me down wasn't finished with me yet.

"What do you think you're doing, punk?" It's that buff girl from earlier. I think her name is Clarisse. "You could have killed him!"

I say nothing; the ache in my head is too strong. Clarisse glares at me. "Get out of my sight, kid."

I stumble out of the arena, dazed.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: I Get Claimed

This is the second time I turned purple. And also the second time I suffered from the aftereffects. The only good thing is that I didn't pass out. The sinking feeling I have won't go away however. I'm an idiot, and a jerk at that. Chris was only trying to help me and I pounded him to the ground. And the look Clarisse gave me? I feel like scum.

"Hey, Purple!" I turn around and see an Ares kid. One of the few who had made fun of me earlier. He's a bully, but not like Reid. This guy can walk the walk. I wonder if I could take him, but right now it's not an option. I say nothing.

"Hey, Purple, talk. You think you're tough, well don't forget, you're a newbie." He grins wickedly. "I think it's time I teach you a lesson." His friends walk over. I almost roll my eyes. It's the same with every bully. The other Ares drag along a small, scrawny kid.

"Purple, meet Puny." More laughter. I stare in disbelief. Surely not all Ares kids act like this.

The small kid balls his fists. "My name is Adrian." But the head Ares kid laughs.

"Your name is Puny, and I'm Larry. You don't get a name, because you're not claimed." He pushes Adrian into me. Then he leaves. "Can't wait to cream you guys at capture the flag."

The kid clenches his teeth, but says nothing. His fists are balled so tightly that they turn whiter then his already pale skin. "I'll get them," he says quietly. "I'll get him."

And that's how I met my first friend. We started off with tentative remarks, but soon enough we started talking about our lives. Adrian is also unclaimed, so he's my roommate. We took a walk along the edge of the woods, and that's when we saw something awful.

Adrian noticed it first. "What's that?" he breathes. I look, and see Mr. D. He is facing a scared looking satyr. There's a cruel glint in his eyes.

"Now, Rhubarb, I know you didn't mean to ridicule me today, did you?"

"No," whimpered Rhubarb. "I wouldn't dare."

"And yet I heard that your drunken impression of me was a _riot_." His eyes have a flame in them, and I see images of madness flash through my head. Adrian gasps, no doubt seeing the same thing I was.

"I should have the Maenads rip you to pieces," said Mr. D, obviously enjoying what was happening. Rhubarb whimpered again. "But I have a better idea. Say good bye to your sanity."

"No!" wailed Rhubarb. But Dionysus snapped his finger and I heard a loud crack. It's an unearthly sound, and I shudder. Adrian looks confused, as If he didn't hear the sound. But what happened is evident enough.

"Stop," shrieked Rhubarb. But he's no longer talking to Mr. D. "Stop making me eat meat! No! No more!" The crazed satyr stumbles away but his screams pierce the evening. Dionysus drove him insane.

"That was immensely satisfying," said Mr. D. "What do you think, Faulkner? And you, Johns?"

"It's Jones," said Adrian in a small voice.

"That was terrible," I say. Adrian looks at me in surprise. He's not the first person to have done so. "How could you do that to him? That's inhumane."

Dionysus shrugged. "Democracy is overrated. No one needs all those rights. And I'm not human. I'm a _god_."

"But you're an embodiment of humanity." I can't stop myself from saying the next feel words. "You're no god. You're just a bully with power."

Mr. D looks at me, and I see that purple fire in his eyes. "Humanity? You don't think what I did back there was _humane_? Oh please, humans are capable of doing that. And much worse. Let me ask you Faulkner, what type of human are _you_? I think that you're capable of doing what I did."

His words strike me. I remember pounding Chris, and running away instead of helping Lau. I'm just like him. Beating on the weak, and running when things get tough. I'm the worst of bullies.

Mr. D isn't finished with me yet. "I should incinerate you on the spot. But I have a better idea. See you at dinner. You'll be in for a shock." With a smirk, he vanishes into the air, leaving the scent of grapes.

Dinner at the pavilion. The food is good, and it's seemingly endless. I get some Italian food, and it reminds me of the takeout my mom used to bring me. The thought makes me sad, but I don't let it linger over me for long. With people like Larry and Dionysus at this camp, tears are just going to make me an easier target. As I line up to send an offering to the gods, I notice that several campers are moving away from me.

I see Chris with a bandage tied on his head. I can't bring myself to look at Clarisse. I sit at the Hermes table along with Adrian. We eat in silence, but I use that as an opportunity to glance around. Magic sparks whiz around at the Hecate table. Card tricks and the sound of people betting money float over the Tyche table. I hear loud snoring from the Hypno table, and I wonder how they got here in the first place. I glance around and notice a kid sitting alone. And then another one.

"Who are those two?" I ask Adrian.

"Hm? Oh, that's Pollux, a son of Dionysus." Adrian shudders when he says the god's name. "And that one over there is Percy Jackson. He's sort of like a legend."

"Doesn't seem very popular to me."

"That's because we have to sit at our assigned tables."

I briefly wonder who made such a stupid rule. Then I hear Mr. D. he has stood up, and now he's looking at me. There's no malice in his eyes, but I sense some sort of anticipation from him. I gulped, wondering what he was going to do to me. Perhaps he'll turn me insane, like he did with Rhubarb.

"Glen Faulkner, stand up." I feel fear run down my spine. I see faces turning to me. The Ares kids sneer in contempt. Others look at me like I'm some sort of criminal. I stand up. Mr. D raises his goblet of Diet Coke and he smiles. I frown.

"A toast to Glen Faulkner on being claimed." Huh?

I don't get it. But then several people gasp. They point to something above my head. I see a holographic stick with a pine cone tipped on it. Surrounding the stick were vines.

Grape vines. "Oh no, no, no." I groan. Chiron gets up, looking as surprised as I feel. He announces aloud what just happened.

"Hail Glen Faulkner. Son of Dionysus, lord of the vine, god of wine."

I look at the person who I so hated moments ago. My father. My brain goes numb, and one thought passes through me. _Awkward_.

I reach my cabin, exhausted and defeated. I can't believe what just happened. I collapse on the nearest bed.

It's been a long day.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: A Civil Talk with Dad

Waking up was the most painful thing to do. I woke up in Cabin Twelve, and it's already empty. Pollux or whatever is gone, probably tending the fields. I check on my camp status. Let's see: a tree hates me, the Ares cabin hates me, my dad hates me, and a god hates me. The rest of the camp thinks I'm some sort of freak with anger issues. And I can't prove them wrong.

I skip breakfast and walk to the archery class. I suck at archery, but I want to talk to Chiron. Sure enough, the centaur is there shooting arrows.

_Plunk! _Another bull's-eye. Chiron turns to me. "Is there a problem, child?"

"Like you don't know?" I say sullenly. Chiron smiles gently and starts to walk. I follow him.

"I'll admit, child, I did not foresee that Dionysus would be your father."

"It doesn't matter. All I know is that Mr. D hates me." I'm not just angry, but I'm sad. As much as a jerk Dionysus can be he's still my father.

I look up and find Chiron smiling. "Glen, no parent can completely hate you. Mr. D loves you deep down in his immortal essence. I'm sure of it."

"How can you be sure he doesn't hate me? Because he didn't eat me yet?" It's a jab at Kronos, and Chiron knows it. He winces.

"Anyway, Glen, what surprised me the most was your powers. No child of Dionysus I have ever known has had such abilities as you do."

Great, I'm a freak among freaks. "Any theories about my ability?"

"Well, you see, back in the old days worshipers of Dionysus believed that by drinking wine they would achieve a sense of heightened ability. Perhaps your power is a blessing from him."

I stare, horrified. "Are saying that when I use my power…I'm…drunk?"

"Not drunk," corrected Chiron, "but the state of being so."

"And that makes things so much better. So why am I so tired afterward?"

Chiron hesitates. "That would be the state of being wasted."

"Like…a hangover?" Chiron doesn't look at me in the eyes. Great. The origins of my powers are explained, and it's actually a drinking problem. Chiron offers me more consolation, but I leave him with my problems unresolved.

I run with the nymphs and Adrian. We start off okay, but soon Adrian is left behind wheezing for breath I turn around to him. "Are you okay?"

Adrian catches his breath and looks at me. "Yeah." I notice that he looks somewhat subdued. Before I can ask him if there's a problem Larry shows up.

"Hey punks," he sneers. "Can't wait to cream you guys at capture the flag tonight." He looks at Adrian and shoves him roughly into the ground. I want to intervene, but his gang has already surrounded us. "Of course, unclaimed kids are fighting with us today. But you better watch out. Some of us have problems telling who's on whose team, you know." It's a threat. Adrian glares helplessly, but says nothing. Larry shoves me down, and I take the blow. He leaves, apparently uninterested.

I help Adrian up. "We'll get him," I say encouragingly.

Adrian mumbles something. Then he says "If I were you, I'd have beaten him to the pulp right then."

I shrug, uncomfortable. Should I have beaten up Larry right then? Or was I not supposed to? Was there a right answer? What does it mean to be a hero? I trudge along with Adrian back to the cabins.

Then there's a whoosh of wind, and suddenly I'm not there anymore. My eyes widen and I'm looking face to face with Dionysus. He nods.

"I'd imagine you are surprised."

"Are we at the Big House?"

Dionysus nods. I hesitate. He rolls his eyes. "Oh please, I'm not going to eat you."

I stare at him and see the smirk on his face. "You…you heard me?"

"I am an all powerful god, after all." He looks at me intently. "How are you feeling right now?"

The question takes me aback. Such a personal question from a person who hasn't been in my life for fourteen years. "I, um, imagined you to be taller."

"You mean more handsome?" The pudgy man flickers and I briefly see an extremely good looking man with a healthy glow. Then Dionysus flickers back. "I reflect my state of being. And right now I'm…grumpy."

"I don't know. If I had a choice between being ugly and grumpy or hot and grumpy I would choose-,"

Dionysus grumbled. "You wouldn't understand." But he had a twinkle in his eyes. I realized I was smiling. Then he got serious and he looked at me.

"Listen to me Glen. Being my son is usually not that much of a problem, but when you mixed it in with your mother's blood-,"

"My mother's?" I remember the Gray Sisters. Maybe I should have asked them. "What do you mean?" But Dionysus looks at me strangely.

"Go down to the armory. It's capture the flag time."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: PK- Player Kill

The teams were divided up. Pollux, my half brother, was elsewhere. He had started ignoring me when I had joked "Where's Castor?" It was supposed to be a joke about the original twins, but apparently he actually had a brother named Castor. That was dead. Great.

I trudged along the forest, taking in the cool air and the clear sky. Something about nature always calmed me down. A dryad waved at me and I waved back. I wasn't wearing armor, much to Annabeth's chagrin. She reluctantly let me off, and gave me an offensive position for the capture the flag game.

"You aren't the best swordsman, or the best tactician. In fact, I've never seen you do anything tactical. But you use a knife, and I can respect that." It wasn't an insult from Annabeth. It was constructive criticism, the type spoken so bluntly that you wince in embarrassed acknowledgment.

I knew why she put me on the offensive lines. Probably as a distraction. As much as I hated to admit it, it was a good strategy. I'm not well liked, and I can cause havoc. Perfect for the job. I sized up the cabins on each side.

It was Athena, Poseidon, Dionysus, Apollo, Hephaestus and a few of the minor gods. I didn't pay attention to the rest. Ares, Hermes, Hecate, Demeter, and the rest were part of the other team. I saw Larry sneer at me as he walked by. Adrian stumbled along in a stumble from the weight of the armor. I tried to smile encouragingly at him. He had a nervous, almost excited look to his face. I felt bad for him. No doubt Larry was not making life easy for him.

I bumped into a girl as I turned around. She tripped, and her helmet fell off. I winced. "Sorry."

She smiled brushing her hair back. "No problem." Then she grabbed her arrows and went back to her cabin mates. A daughter of Apollo, no doubt. Before I could think of anything else, however, Chiron called us. He spoke the rules, and then the conch horn blew. It was time.

I rushed into the enemy territory, ready to spring to action. I saw blue plumed figures streak past me. They were my allies. I can feel my blood pumping, the adrenaline, and then-,

"Hey!" A hand snagged me, and I almost tripped in surprise. It was a dryad. Her elfish features looked at me in curiosity. "You're the son of Dionysus, right?"

I looked at her. "Er, yes," I said as politely as possible. I was impatient for battle. But the dryad looked at me again.

"You seem nicer than what Jasmine told me." Oh. Suddenly I feel nervous. What happens now?

To my relief the dryad giggled. "Don't worry. With Dionysus as your father Jasmine won't try anything too risky."

"Really? That's great." I mean it, and then the dryad glances at me again. I can't resist the urge to ask the question. "Why do you keep on staring at me?"

The dryad blushes a little. "You're cuter than I thought you would be."

I stare at her. "It's genetics. From my mother's side," I add. I figure Dionysus wouldn't mind a little humor.

The dryad laughs again and says, "I can show you a path to the flag if you want." I stand there, agape. It sounded too good to be true. Then I envisioned the image of me winning the flag. Showing Larry up. People smiling at me, _complimenting_ me. I nod my head.

"Follow me," said the dryad. I run with her to a path in the forest I wasn't aware of. In about ten minutes we stop and the dryad turns and points. "The flag's over there."

I can see the flag in a distance. I see myself striding towards it casually plucking it from its hiding place. I can feel the anticipation of triumph. I move forward.

Then I stop. Across the clearing I see Larry and Adrian. Adrian has his fist balled, and Larry is snarling. Adrian's nose is bleeding, and there's a fear in his eyes.

I feel some suppressed rage in me release. Adrian, one of the nicest people I have ever met, was being threatened by Larry. The anger I feel now is the strongest I have ever felt. After all my selfish angers the thought that the only person who ever considered me a friend was getting hut was too much for me to bear.

My head pounds, a tempo of wild, roaring anger. I can feel my self change; I'm surrounded by some shade of aura. But it's not purple. It is a dark, bloodred wine color. There is no feeling of wild happiness, or heightened senses. I feel rage and rage only. Uninhibited frenzy erupts from me and I roar. I see Larry turn, confused. He draws his sword.

I am on him within seconds. I strike him, and he crumples to the ground. Adrian screams, but my berserk state takes over control. I'm only aware of my actions in a muddled state of mind. I find myself running at almost impossible speeds, the flag unbelievably close.

The flag guards try to stop me. My knife is gone somewhere, but I use my bare hands. An Ares kid tries to strike me. I grab his spear and break it, snarling. My fist lashes out bashing against his helmet so hard that my knuckles should have been broken. But they weren't.

I grab the flag and I am out of there, zipping through the woods and roaring. The enemy team converges on me. I use the flagpole to smash aside their attempt at stopping me. Many stare at me in fear. I don't care, and I swat them aside with the pole. At last I reach the border territory line.

People stare at me once more. I remember roaring one last time, and planting the flag onto the ground. Then I see spots. Blackness.

I wake up, and my state of hangover erupts. I groan, loudly. Chiron turns in surprise. He offers me nectar, which I drink gladly. I inhale as much ambrosia as I can take. Chiron studies me.

I see the flag. It's purple with vines on it. I grin. "I guess I won, huh?"

Chiron looks at me strangely. "Indeed, child."

I frown, his reaction not at all expected. "Lighten up, Chiron. Whose funeral is it?"

Chiron glances at me. "Can you walk child?" I nod, and get up. We get out of the Big House and to the fields. I notice that the sky is unusually cloudy.

"Where are we going?" I ask Chiron.

"The amphitheater," says Chiron. We walk in silence. And then he gives me my knife. "Here, we found it in the forest."

I take the knife, surprised. I had forgotten where I had lost it after all. We reach the amphitheater and I walk in. Everyone is in there. And heads turn to me. I flinch. There's hate, raw animosity emitting from the crowd. And not just from Ares. I see everyone study me coldly. I don't know what to say.

Then I see it, something that will forever be remembered. There's a shroud, one for Ares. I recognize the Greek words emblazoned on it. My heart stops, as I realize what I have done. The crime I had committed.

The shroud belongs to Larry.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: I Move Out

I stare at the shroud in silence. Nobody moves, the amphitheater is unnaturally still. Too still, I realize. I look up at them and they are frozen, unmoving.

"I put them in a state of temporary trance," said a voice. "They'll be back to normal in a few minutes."

I look at my father. My eyes sting with shame and fear. "I didn't mean to do it-,"

Dionysus raises a hand. "We have no time for this. Chiron." The centaur comes over, unfrozen.

"Yes…," he says. "Glen Faulkner, you have committed a crime horrific to this camp. You have murdered a fellow camper. Do you wish to try at redemption?"

Redemption? Was it possible? I nod. Chiron continues gravely. "Very well. You must perform a labor given to you by the Oracle. You may also choose two companions to journey with you." He glances at the frozen campers. "Who believes in Glen Faulkner's plea of redemption? Rise, if you do."

Nobody moves. My throat constricts, and I feel a wave of despair wash over me. Then I see a twitch. Someone moves, and I feel a glimmer of hope. Who is it?

The figure stumbles out and I blink in surprise. It's the Apollo girl. She looks at me, and I look back at her. Chiron speaks up. "Lydia Lian, do you stand by Glen Faulkner's side.

I wonder why she unfroze in the first place. How could she possibly believe in me, a killer? But our eyes make contact once more. She speaks up. "I will stand for Glen Faulkner."

Chiron nods. I look for Adrian in he crowd of frozen people. Dionysus speaks up. "He's in the Big House. Broken arm."

I feel somehow relieved. Adrian wasn't here because he was injured, not because he didn't believe in me. Dionysus studies me intently.

"Do you want to see him?" I nod. With a wave of his godly hand, I am sent to the Big House. On one of the beds used to hold injured people I find him.

"Adrian," I say. He looks at me, wild fear in his eyes. He hides under the blankets. I try to comfort him, but one touch and he starts trembling. Large sobs emit from under the blanket.

He's afraid of me. Then it dawned onto me: I had broken his arm. Suddenly I'm not there anymore and back at the amphitheater. I glare at Dionysus to cover my grief. "You could have given me a heads-up."

He doesn't say anything, and I know worse is to come. Chiron looks at me. "Child, you must set out to seek the Oracle. From there you must perform your given labor."

I gulp. "Where is the Oracle?" No doubt she was located at some monster infested cave.

"Clarion Ladies Academy." Or maybe not. Not that I mind or anything. Suddenly there was movement, and Argus was by our side. Chiron frowned.

"Argus? Shouldn't you be frozen?" Argus made a motion with his hands and Chiron looked at him in surprise. "I…see." Then Chiron turned to me. "Argus also stands for you, Glen."

I looked at Argus with awe. Raw emotion overcomes me, and my vision blurs. I quickly blink back the tears. Lydia and Argus. Two people who I barely knew, and yet were willing to believe in me.

Or so I thought. A word to the wise: many people have different agendas, and they jump at the nearest opportunity.

Dionysus stepped forward. He snapped his hands, and a pine cone appears in his palm. "Here, have this. Use it when you are in times of need."

I take the pine cone, and instantly a magic string attaches it onto my neck. It's a fashion statement too. Great.

"Go," said Chiron. "Seek the Oracle in New Hampshire." He made it sound so important, almost oblivious to the fact that it was a four hour drive.

I pack my bag up and glance at the camp for one last time. Wasn't this supposed to be my safe, happy place? _You have to go to where you belong_, my mom had said. But she was wrong. I didn't belong here. I still wasn't normal, or accepted.

I finish packing. There's not much I took from home. And not much I had at camp. Argus is waiting for me at the pine tree. I go over the hill.

I don't look back.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Deadly Daycare

The drive itself wasn't too bad. You'd expect us to run into monsters, but we just kept on driving through the highway. Lydia and I talked. She seemed in awe of Argus, who was apparently a legend of a fighter, and a master guard. Argus' eyes twinkled as she said that, but he said nothing. It made me feel better, though. The thought that we had such a great protector on our side boosted my confidence.

Things weren't exactly smooth sailing, though. When I asked Lydia why she decided to help me I didn't get a straight answer. Suspicious, but I wasn't prying. I needed all the help I could get.

Four hours passed quickly. I had a lot to think about, after all. Lydia was sleeping. So was Argus. Well, half of him anyway. Half of his eyes were closed, but the other half was wide alert.

At last we stopped. Argus got out, and started to look for directions. Lydia and I followed him. Strangely, many of the shops were closed, but one building caught our eyes. It was a colorful building with a playground. The words "Kiddie Daycare Center" were plastered on the sign. Argus walked in.

I looked at Lydia, and she shrugged. We walked in. Inside, the noise of happy children filled the room.

"Oh," said Lydia, and I noticed a subtle difference in her tone. Perhaps she was nostalgic of something. Many little kids ran around shouting and yelling. In the center, an old woman was sitting on a rocket chair.

Argus coughed, and the woman turned to us. Her glasses were huge, and the shades completely obscured her eyes. "May I help you," she asked in a kind, grandmotherly tone.

"We're looking for directions," said Lydia. She sounded distracted, as she glanced at a kid with blond curls. The old lady seemed to notice her doing so.

"Ah, you enjoy taking care of children as well, I see."

"Yes," said Lydia, embarrassed. "I had…have a little brother." I frowned. What was that supposed to mean?

The old woman nodded. "Children are precious to me. They are so special, a delicacy."

That was not the best choice of words, I thought. But I kept my mouth shut. The old lady then too out a massive binder with a lot of paper inside. "Sorry," she said, "let me take role first. Louie Wilkinson?" The boy with the curls raises his hand.

Lydia stiffened. I glanced at her. "What's wrong?" I asked. She motions me toward a corner and I follow her.

"Louie Wilkinson is on the news," she whispered.

"Good for him."

"He's a missing child." I froze.

"Are you serious," I intone carefully. She nods. At the door, Argus is tensed. He probably read our lips with his excellent eyesight or something.

"Alright," I breathe. "Let's do this."

"Do what?"

"Just follow my lead." I walk up to the old lady. She smiles again. "Ah, yes. The address. Here let me find it-,"

"Let's cut the small talk," I said cheerily. "You're a kidnapper. Between the police and us, I'd give you about five seconds to leave this place as fast as your octogenarian legs can carry you."

The old woman looks at me strangely. "You could have had a chance to walk out of here safely, Glen Faulkner. But now I'm going to have to kill you."

"Nice try, granny. Make sure you take your-, wait, did you just say my name?" And that's when things went wrong.

The old lady transformed. Instantly she elongated, and her legs morphed into one snake trunk. Her face distorted into that of a hideous beast's. The glasses fell off, and I saw her eyeless gaze. Her dentures broke as fangs popped out of her gums.

"My granny, what big teeth you have there," I muttered. Then the adrenaline rush started. I was amazed by how quickly I could use the power now. Was it thanks to practice or repetitive use?

"Big teeth? All the better to _bite you_ with," said the lady viciously. "And my name isn't Granny. It's _Lamia_."

Lydia looked pale. "Lamia? The child-eater?"

"The very same, my dear."

I decided that it was time to charge her. The adrenaline fully taking hold, my Purple Ninja mode came into play. I grabbed out my knife.

"_Stop_!" yelled Lydia. And to my surprise, I did. Something about her voice jolted me. there was an angry crack to it, something personal. "You'll hurt the kids," she said, gesturing at the wailing children.

"Argus," she said authoritatively. "Get the kids to safety." Argus nodded, and ran up to the kids, picking up at least eight of them at once. But it wasn't enough. There were still too many bawling kids for me to use my powers.

"What are we going to do?" I asked Lydia.

"We'll fight," she said, pulling out a bow and arrows from seemingly nowhere.

Lamia hissed. Her tail wrapped around a table and she sent it at the children. Argus moved, and the table slammed into him. At least the kids were safe. Lydia shot an arrow. With a sharp sound, it planted itself into Lamia's trunk.

I stood around awkwardly with my knife. What was I to do? I considered going wild, but I remembered Adrian. I had to control myself.

Then Lamia lunged at me. I dodged to the side and my shoulder hit a table edge. I winced. It actually hurt. Without my special powers, I was next to useless. I felt afraid.

Another sound and another arrow is planted into Lamia's shoulder. She snarls. "Foolish demigods! How dare you stop me in my bitter lament? Who are you to attack a poor pitiful being such as me?"

"You eat children," said Lydia helpfully. "Society frowns upon that."

"Bah! Only because the gods killed my children. Now I must see to it that all feel the sorrow that I have felt."

"Look," I said getting up to my feet. "Your little snake babies can re-spawn from Tartarus, so I really don't see what you are so upset about."

Lamia looked at me in contempt. "Ignorance," she sneered. "I was once a being like the two of you. Not mortal, but human. You think I enjoy this form? No! This is simply our true forms. Without sanity, we are nothing but monsters."

"But why," asked Lydia quietly, "why do you eat children. Aren't they important to you?"

"Yes, they are important. I need food to live."

Lydia looked at Lamia, and her eyes glowered with intensity. "Wrong answer," she said. _Plunk! _An arrow in the neck. _Plunk! Plunk! _Two more sprouted from the trunk. Lamia roared. Her tail lashed out, and it swept Lydia off her feet. Lydia tried to grab her bow, but it was too far from her.

Lamia advanced. In desperation, I threw the knife. It missed, and I felt slightly more useless. Lydia grimaced. Then Argus was there, grabbing the trunk, his muscles bulging. The Lamia tried to move forward, but Argus was too strong. Argus grunted.

Lydia grabbed an arrow and she jumped, planting it into Lamia's chest. "Get down," she yelled.

The arrow exploded in a dazzling light. With a howl, Lamia disintegrated, and flames burst out of the fiery explosion. Instantly the fires started coating the room. Argus took the remainder of the kids and ran out. I dashed for the door, but Lydia stayed.

"Come on," I yelled. But she only turned to me. I saw a look of desperation in her eyes.

"The roll call binder," she said, "I need it." But the fire was spreading too fast. I grabbed her and ran out. Just as we did, the daycare dissolved into nothing. Like it never existed.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Oracles are Optimistic; Their Prophecies Aren't

"I don't feel comfortable going in there." That was me, at the gate of Clarion Ladies Academy. Beyond the fancy gate was an assortment of elegant buildings. Girls wandered about, dressed in preppy, rich clothing. I felt like the lone cavity in a set of perfect teeth. Looking down, I see my orange camp shirt and jeans. _Not exactly designer_. Boy, I was finding that out pretty quickly.

I turned to Lydia, and blinked in surprise. She was wearing one of the same uniforms as the other students. Argus had a formal suit on, and it covered his body eyes completely. "How did you guys do that?"

"Mist manipulation," said Lydia. One of the many things that I didn't learn at camp. Like how to not kill a person. Many students were looking at me strangely, and I felt flushed with awkward embarrassment. But now was not the time to worry about things like that.

"How do we find the Oracle now?" I asked.

"We ask the headmaster," said Lydia. "Though he might not be impressed with your clothing." Did I detect a sullenness in her voice?

"Hey," I said, "why did you need that attendance sheet anyways-,"

"_Argus_?" A red haired girl had spotted us and was now running toward us. Lydia muttered a thank you to Tyche, Goddess of Fortune.

"Let's move away from here," she said. The red haired girl nodded and we relocated to the auditorium. It was huge, and affordable by the school's obviously large budget.

"I'm Rachel Dare," said the girl. "The Oracle. I've gotten quite a few people coming to me during the middle of the day. What do you guys need?"

She frowned when we finished the story. "Well…that's troubling. On the bright side, the gods haven't utterly destroyed you for your crime. Yet."

I hesitated. "Is that…a problem?"

"Relax," she said reassuringly. "They've let off Hercules, Jason, Medea, and a few others before."

"And they've all had happy endings after their crimes were reprieved?"

She hesitates. "…yes," she said unconvincingly. The karma gods are going to kill me. Great.

She looks at me. "Ask the question. I'm ready when you are."

I'm not ready. "Okay," I say, "I'm ready." I take a breath and say, "Oracle, what must I do to reprieve my crime?"

Rachel's eyes glow green and green smoke starts to trail out of her mouth. "Breath mints," I mumble. "Would be very useful."

Her voice is tripled, and it rings across the auditorium.

_Daughter of Arrow, Son of Vine _

_One uses the father's symbol of pine._

_Beware the Chimera,_

_Child of Wine's bane._

_But gods' wrath you bear, unless it is slain._

_Stop at last young hero_

_Triumph and pay Death's dues_

_And yet in the end, still Madness Ensues._

Her booming voice echoes, and at last the thundering sound fades away. No one says anything for a second. "Nice acoustics," muttered Lydia.

Rachel nodded, back to normal. "Everyone says that. So, what did the prophecy say?"

I stare. "Oh," I said, feeling embarrassed. "I thought you might know." Lydia stares at me.

"You forgot? How can you forget? It's one of the single most important things you'll ever need to know!"

"Sorry, but she spoke way too fast. I was going to ask her to slow down, but her voice went all creepy."

"But it's your _prophecy_!"

"Oh, come on! I have ADHD. Let's be honest, who really commits it to memory in two seconds? Not Theseus, not Hercules, not Percy Jackson."

Argus rolled his eyes and handed me a sheet with the prophecy on it. "Oh," I said, "Thanks Argus."

"What does it say?" asked Rachel. I read the paper, and they look over my shoulder.

"Hm," said Rachel, scrunching her eyebrows together. "The first line obviously alludes to you guys. But what about the pine?"

Argus pointed at the pine cone on my neck. Rachel nodded, not questioning it any further. "It says to watch out for the Chimera," she continued.

"No," says Lydia, "it also says that god's wrath will befall Glen if he doesn't kill it. I think that's the quest."

"Alright then," I said. "We go on our merry adventure, kill it, and start breaking out into song as we go back home."

Lydia frowned. "What?"

"That's what 'triumph' means, right?"

"But no one sings. You're thinking about popular animated movies there."

"Oh." She rolled her eyes at me. "But we win, right?" I ask.

"Not so fast," said Rachel. "It also says that the Chimera is your bane. Which means it'll kill you if you fight it."

"And that's better than the wrath of the gods."

"Hey," said Rachel shrugging. "Once you're dead, you're dead. No gods torturing you in Hades."

"But I killed someone. Doesn't that crime give me a punishment in the afterlife?"

"Oh yeah," said Rachel, which annoyed me a little. I guess dealing out death omens all the time put her a little on the aloof side. "But, hey," she added. "It says that you don't have to kill it. Maybe Lydia or Argus can."

I remember Argus and Lydia defeating Lamia without me being able to do anything. The thought doesn't really fill me up with joy.

"And the last line," said Rachel, "well…I don't exactly have a clue about what it means."

And that is the Oracle's final interpretation. We say goodbye and walk to the car. Argus starts driving, but where to? We went to the oracle for instruction. We didn't get much help. The feeling is like a math teacher telling you to solve a problem and then giving you something you've never learned about.

The feeling is one of being lost, and feeling the despair of uncertainty slow needles into you. I hate prophecies. And math.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Paul Bunyan is a Goat

"We need a plan," began Lydia. Argus and I nodded in agreement. "Let's face it: we have no idea where the Chimera is."

Argus pointed to his head. I frowned. "What?" He put two fingers on his temple, like one of those telepathic people.

"Psychic…mind? Oh, its mind isn't it?" Argus nodded. Obviously he meant mind as in information. "But who are we going to get information from?"

Argus did a psychedelic eye roll. He made a neighing sound. "Oh," said Lydia. "Chiron." She fished out a drachma from her pocket. "O goddess, accept our offering."

Instantly the window on our car flickered to life. The rainbow light bouncing off the hood started forming a picture. "Chiron," said Lydia.

The form of the centaur took an image. He wheeled around at us in surprise. "You two," he said carefully, "should not have messaged me. You're fugitives."

Ouch. "Listen, Chiron," I said. "We need to know about the Chimera." Quickly, we filled him in on the events.

Chiron looked at me grimly. "It appears that the gods are not on your side, Glen Faulkner."

"Yeah," I said. "The ones who are supposed to be helping me aren't doing that great, either," I added pointedly at him.

Chiron faltered a little. "My apologies, child. Ancient rules prevent me from being too friendly to you in your disposition. Now then, the Chimera." He looked at me, his eyes serious.

"Listen, Glen. In the past few centuries, the Chimera has been constantly on the move. He's unpredictable. Last we heard of him was that he was at The Gateway Arch, but that was years ago." He paused.

"What's more, he generally travels with his mother, Echidna." I let that sink in. To kill Chimera we needed to kill Echidna as well. "Should you try to find him, you must seek out Prometheus." Chiron said the name distastefully. "He is a crafty Titan, but wise as well."

"But where's Prometheus?" I asked. Chiron looked at me, and shrugged.

"This is where the hero part comes in, Glen. You must find out yourself. My only suggestion is that you ask the nature spirits. As a child of Dionysus, they may tell you."

I didn't like that. The part about asking the nature spirits. It seemed like I was relying too much on chance than anything else.

I looked at Argus. "Is there a forest anywhere close?" Argus started the engine. We reached the forest about 30 miles later. "Wow," I said. "Where is this?"

"One of the sap forests by the look of it," said Lydia. I looked at her, surprised. "What?" she asked quizzically.

"I don't know, but knowing what forest it is seems like an Athena thing. Or Demeter."

Lydia looked at me. "What's your point? Are you really going to judge me by my parent? You think that we demigods are just an embodiment of our immortal parents? Are you shallow enough to view every Ares kid as a brute, every Aphrodite child as a pretty coward?"

The way she set it was almost poetic in its delivery. I'd say it's an Apollo thing, but that would just get me another lecture. It strikes me that I know next to nothing about her. She shoots arrows. Yup, nothing.

The forest is winding and the trees are more closely cluttered. Lydia and Argus move slowly across the many gnarled roots on the ground, but I go through it easily. Being in a forest always gives me a strange sense of familiarity.

At last we reach a clearing. Argus and Lydia catch up. "So what now," I asked. "Do we just go up to a tree and start talking to it?"

An eye on Argus' forearm widens, and he points. Lydia looks and says, "Why don't we just ask him."

In the middle of the clearing is a stump. Sitting on it was a satyr. But not one of those normal nature hippie types. Thinking about that reminds me of Lau. But this guy is definitely not Lau.

He was your standard goat waist down, but it was actually the top that made him strange. He wore plaid and his burly arms and torso made him look like some time of wrestler. He wore a cap, but what got me was his _beard_. It was brown like his goat fur, and it radiated (how do I say this?)… woodmanliness.

A hatchet was at his side, and immediately the term lumberjack popped in my head. "Um…," I said, "what happened to the blue cow?"

The satyr scowled. "I hate mortals." Simple, plain, and gruff. Lydia frowned.

"Aren't you a protector of nature? Why do you have an axe?"

The satyr smiled. "Who said I used it on _trees_?" I couldn't help but gulp. He didn't waste his time on boasts.

Argus moved closer, but the satyr put his hands up. "Hey," he said, "I'm not looking for trouble."

"Good," said Lydia. "We're here for help. Do you know where to find Prometheus?"

The satyr shrugged. "Haven't got a clue." Lydia quickly explained our quest anyway, but he still didn't know.

"Prometheus? He went into hiding when his last siding with the Titans got sour. He could be anywhere."

"Oh," I said. "Thanks for helping, er-,"

"Bough," he said, extending his hand. "Bough Hewn." I had to admit, I liked his style. He seemed straight forward, and not judging me to what I have done. At the time I had assumed that it was because he just that type of person.

It hadn't occurred to me that maybe he understood the shame I had felt, that he knew what it was like.

"How nice, Bough. You've made friends." A voice came from behind us. I turned, and my jaw dropped.

It was a woman, and she was beautiful. She smelled nice, and the scent was overpowering. She was gorgeous (did I already say that…), and did her hair just burst into flames?

"Well," I muttered, "that is hot by definition."

The woman laughed. "Thank you Glen Faulkner." But the others were tense. Bough was at his stump, hatchet ready. Argus clenched his teeth to the fight the power off, and was in a defensive stance. Lydia was unaffected.

"Empousa," said Bough angrily, "I thought I told you to get out of my forest."

The empousa shrugged. "I got lost. Sorry."

"Can I take you out to dinner?" I asked. Everyone looked at me in surprise.

The empousa looked at me. "I'm not available."

"Dinner's on me." She smiled, and fangs popped out of her mouth.

"Correction, dinner _is _you." Lydia grabbed my hand.

"Glen," she said warningly. "Look at her feet." I looked, and under her black dress were two different feet: one of bronze, and one of donkey.

I shrugged. "So she can't dance…,"

"_Glen_."

"I'm just joking," I say. Instantly I feel the familiar adrenaline. The Purple Ninja has risen. It wild energy blocks out the alluring spell of the empousa.

"Oh come on," said the empousa. "Let's not be so hasty. You want to know where Prometheus is, right?"

I froze. "You know him?"

"We went out in the second Titan War." Bough looked at me in warning.

"Don't listen to her," he warned. "She's been after this forest all this time."

"Just doing an errand for Hecate," said the empousa. "But we do need this forest. As guardian of it, give it to us, Bough."

"Over my reincarnated flower body." Nicely done. The empousa bared her fangs. "Very well," she said. Then she lunged.

My reflexes take over. I unsheathed my knife, and slashed at her. The empousa moved under, grabbing my arm. She pulls me toward her fangs.

I follow her pull, and use the momentum to swing a punch. She stumbles, but lashes out with her bronze leg.

_Clang! _Owww. The empousa doesn't stop. Suddenly she has claws, and they lacerate my shoulder. I aim a stab at her, but she grabs and twists the knife out of my hand.

Her fangs go for the kill. I punch her in the mouth, but feel her fangs pierce my fist. My aura darkens to the familiar wine red…

"Get back!" yelled Bough. He grabbed me roughly pushed me back. Not that I felt it with my powers activated. His hatchet morphs into a chainsaw. "Get out of my forest," he says with gritted teeth.

"Okay, okay," said the empousa backing away. But the dark anger in me is still there. I take a lunge at her. She smiles. "Oops," she says, and then she bursted into flames.

"No!" yelled Bough. But the fire is magical, and soon it's growing. "Water," he says. "We need water."

"What would Percy Jackson do?" muttered Lydia. "Oh right…summon water."

"Ugh," I say, the energy fading. I look at the fire and I know we need to get out of here. "Argus."

He nods, and Lydia motions to move. But Bough stays rooted to the ground staring at the stump. The fire is spreading, and he can't do anything to stop its slow destruction of his forest.

"No," he whispers, "this isn't happening again." He keeps on staring at the stump. "Please."

"Bough," I say. "We have to go." He looks at me, and I remember Jasmine. Then the anger fades, to despair.

"Go," he says. The look in his eyes is worse than Jasmine's. There's pain, and the look of no hope. The hope that I took away.

"Bough," I begin, but he shakes his head.

"Go," he repeats. "You need to know where Prometheus is? Ask the Daughters of the Sun. They may know. They live in the west, somewhere in California. Just go. Please." That pain in his voice is too much for me. I turn away, from the blaze and the newest suffering I have caused.

Causing pain. It's like a bad habit.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Lost in Thought

I try not to think about the things I've done wrong. There are so many mistakes that I've made that it's pointless to count. You'd think that this was the low point of the quest, but it's not.

Our car was gone. Lydia and I stared in disbelief. Argus merely sighed. We began walking. But where would we go? How many miles were there back to, well, _anywhere_? After several hours Lydia and I both collapsed. Argus sat down, patiently waiting for us to catch our breaths.

The road was quiet, and we waited alongside it. Lydia muttered a prayer for Hermes, God of Travelers. A while later, a car came. With some handy Mist manipulation, we got a ride to a motel.

After we got a room, we sat down. No one said a word. At last, Argus left the room to get information of our location. Lydia and I sat quietly.

"So," I said tentatively, breaking the silence. But then I stopped. The words didn't come out of my mouth. After all these events, I was exhausted.

Lydia eyed me. "You should get some rest."

"It's not like I did much, anyways," I said, shrugging. Pain pierces my shoulder. "Ow!" I had forgotten about the wound from the empousa.

"Let me see that," said Lydia. After a blessing of Apollo and some nectar I started feeling better.

I ventured to ask a question. "So, you have a brother?"

Lydia stiffened, but she looked at me. "Yeah." She's hiding something. I frown.

"Is there something wrong with him?"

"There's nothing wrong with him." Defensive, and careful. I don't like it. So I press on.

"Look, you're going to have to tell me-,"

"Why would I have to tell you anything?"

"Hey, we're on a quest together. I think I at least deserve to know what-,"

"No, you don't," said Lydia, anger in her voice. "My gods, Glen. You're a killer. Why do I have to tell you anything? This is a quest to _punish_ you."

I'm a little surprised by the negativity in her voice. I cover it up with my own anger. "Then why are you on this quest at all? You didn't have to sign up for this, you know."

We glare at each other. Lydia breaks her glare before I do, which is kind of surprising. I almost expect her to attack me with poetry. She takes in a deep breath. "Fine, if you really want to know. I have a brother. It's just that…he's missing." She swallows at the last part.

I stare at her. "Wait…the fact that you recognized the missing kid. And the attendance sheet. Is that why-?"

She nodded miserably. "I've been searching for him for a long time. I know a lot of missing peoples' names. And the sheet, well I needed to know. There's a chance that he could have been on there. Lamia could have-," she stops. With a chill I realize that she meant to say _eaten_.

It made sense. She needed to know whether or not her brother had met a gruesome fate or not. "How old was…is he?"

She sighs. "He went missing when I was 10. He was 4 years old."

"Oh," I said. "Was he also a demigod?"

She nods. "That's why I'm on this quest. Maybe, just maybe, I can find him."

It's a noble thought, but it leaves me a little hollow on the inside. The selfish part of me has just realized that all along Lydia has been searching for her brother. She hadn't volunteered to go on this quest because she believed in me.

After a while, Argus comes in. We find out that he rented a car. The best news is that he got plane tickets to California.

I ogle at the tickets. "First class? How in the world did you get us first-," Argus points to his hair, and then at a red cup. Red hair. Rachel Elizabeth Dare, our Oracle, had pulled through.

I get on the couch and close my eyes. There's not much to do now, except to wish for tomorrow to be better than today.

But my dreams are vivid. I'm walking through a grove. The sweet scent of grapes fills the air. Instantly I see my father.

Dionysus nods at me. "I've sent you a little present. Just to add some excitement to your quest."

"I was kind of expecting words of encouragement," I say, but he waves his hand and I'm transported elsewhere.

I see nothing but clouds, but a silky voice is laughing. It's not cruel, but slightly amused.

"Why, demigod," the voice says. "You aim so high, in the most literal sense. Aim low, my friend. Really low."

And then the Greeks shut up and I get some sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: The Car Wash of Death

I woke up to a storm. I winced as the wind howled outside. Lydia and Argus were sitting, glumly. I looked at the clock and frowned.

"Did we miss our plane?" Lydia rolled her eyes.

"Look outside. The plane's been delayed." Rain pounded on the ceiling. It didn't look like it was going to get better anytime soon. I stood up.

"What do we do now? Wait for the plane at the airport?" Lydia and Argus glanced at each other.

"I don't know," said Lydia hesitantly. "This could be a sign from Zeus. I don't think he wants you to go the easy way out of this."

"And you're _sure_ this is Zeus, and not a freak storm?" She hesitated again. Great. "Well, this does seem like something a god would do."

I got to the balcony and opened the door. Instantly wind seeped into the hotel room. I shouted at the sky, over the squall. "You guys aren't angry right?"

Thunder boomed. "I mean it's cool, isn't it?" More thunder. Lydia looked at me.

"Glen," she said warningly, "don't mess with the gods." I ignored her, out of a mixture of pettiness and curiosity as to what the gods would do.

Thunder and lighting pounded at the sky. "I need a sign!" I shouted. "What are you trying to tell me?"

A bolt of lightning came down and crashed right next to me. I should have been fried, but it just left a very dark scorch mark near me. Lydia smirked. "I think that's the sign."

"Shut up," I grumbled.

We gave up on the plane. The storm came to a sudden stop, but we all knew that it could start at anytime. We drove. It seemed like the only thing to do. I glanced at Lydia, and I could feel her agitation. All the other heroes always had straightforward quests. We had an indefinitely long one that left us drifting.

At last I couldn't help but scream in frustration. "What are we going to do? This is getting us nowhere!"

"We can't travel through the sky. All we can do is drive," said Lydia quietly. It was painfully obvious that she was still unsettled by our earlier conversation.

"Do you really think that we can travel all the way to California by car without a monster attacking us?" Argus coughed, and pointed upward. The sky was still ominously gray.

Lydia nodded, slightly nervous. "You're right, Argus. The gods are already impatient. We can't risk going the long way. Their tempers will give out before we get to the Chimera." There was a boom of thunder. "But they should be rightly angry," added Lydia quickly.

"Hey," I grumbled. I swore I had just brought up the same argument before Argus interjected. Then again, Lydia was angry at me. "Okay, then. A shortcut."

Argus and Lydia exchanged glances, troubled. I couldn't help but feel annoyed. They did that a lot, as if I was a clueless idiot who was forced to tag along with them. Which was of course the other way around. This quest was all about me, if you ignore the narcissistic tone.

"Shortcut," muttered Lydia. "We're landlocked, so the ocean is a no. and it's been made clear that anyplace high should be avoided." Another nervous look.

I frowned. Something she said had clicked in me. What did she say? Something about highness…oh.

"My dream," I said. I hastily told them about it. Lydia looked at me, slightly skeptical.

"And you only remember this _now_?"

"Hey," I grumbled, "it's not like I can jot my dreams down on paper or anything." Argus looked slightly puzzled. Or at least the back of his neck did. Suddenly an eye widened. He pointed downwards.

"Yes," said Lydia. "Low…," then she gasped. "Oh, gods," she said. "Do you mean..?"

"What?" I asked. Lydia swallowed.

"You want to go somewhere low, Glen? How about the Underworld?"

Great. I don't like the sound of the Underworld, and I'd prefer to take the long way. Too bad I don't have a choice. Lydia tried to cheer me up, but looking back at it I don't think that was her intention.

"Percy Jackson's already done this, you know." Which means that I either face death or I'm officially labeled a wuss.

"Think about it this way. The gods would have killed you anyways. You're just getting there earlier." Thanks Lydia.

The real problem was getting into the Underworld. Apparently Argus new a secret entrance, one of many that dotted the Underworld. I asked him if he knew where it led to. His eyes looked away. All of them.

We drove for two hours, with a new sense of purpose and a feeling of immense dread. Finally we got to what looked like a deserted car wash. Lydia and I exchanged confused glances.

Argus put a drachma into a strange slot. Then he got into the car and locked it. He started to drive into the empty wash line. A red light glared at us. Suddenly the sound of sprinklers came on.

Instantly black water ejected out of the sprinklers. I cried out in alarm, but Argus held me down from getting up. He looked at me in warning. The black water began to fill up the space, until we were swirling in a strange vortex of it. We could see nothing through the windows except for the red light. Suddenly it turned green. Argus pushed the pedal and we started to drive.

At last we emerged from the vortex and onto a black shore. I looked at what we had emerged from. A black river. The River Styx.

We got out cautiously, not knowing what to expect. And then suddenly a kid materialized out of the shadows. He pointed a short, black blade at us.

"What are you doing here?" He demanded.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Underworld- Just Visiting

I looked at the olive skinned boy. I was slightly skeptical that he could take on all three of us, but something about him was different. The power he radiated was just…_powerful_.

Then he looked in surprise. "_Argus_?" Man, that guy was popular. There was an explanation, and then the boy looked slightly troubled. We had left out the part of me killing someone, only telling him we were going to kill the Chimera.

"Man, that's tough," he said. "But using the Underworld as a shortcut is risky. I only do it because I'm a son of Hades. My name's Nico di Angelo, by the way."

"Glen Faulkner," I said, shaking his hand. I was mentally counting down to the moment where I ruin his life and then he vows to kill me or something. It seemed like a trend.

"I hope my father doesn't catch you," said Nico. "He's still miffed by the Percy Jackson incident, after all." Wow, that guy got around.

"Anyways," continued Nico, "the gate to California is actually the main entrance to the Underworld. There's Charon to worry about, but…any of you have a lot of drachma?" I looked at Argus and Lydia. Neither was responsive.

"We'll find a way," I said. "Right, Lydia?"

"Hm?" she said. She looked distracted and almost desperate for something. It was a familiar expression on her face. Where had I seen her like that before?

Nico lead us to the across the shoreline of the Styx. I thought that this was almost too easy. Then it struck me. What Lydia wanted. I knew it was a bad idea, but for once I wanted to help someone.

"Nico," I said. He turned to me. I began to talk. "I read in the Odyssey that they once summoned ghosts to talk to. Is that true?" Nico nodded. Lydia's eyes widened.

"Yes," said Nico, frowning. "It's true. But why…?"

"Could you verify if someone is…dead for us?" Lydia looked at me.

Nico nodded, but he didn't look happy. "I can, but…well, Glen. Right now you are in the Underworld. And there are a lot of monsters here. The summoning will attract them here."

I swallowed. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea. But then I looked over at Lydia and saw the hope shining in her face. I knew that this was the right thing to do. Stupid, yes. Crazy, yes. And yet if I could make someone happy, maybe… maybe I'm not just a killer.

Nico summoned undead servants to bring him materials. After a while he was ready. Pouring food into a pit, he began chanting.

Instantly the air turned colder. Spirits started materializing. Something growled in my backpack, and I frowned. Was I imagining things?

Nico spoke. "Tell me the name of the person being summoned."

Lydia moved forward, pale. "Aaron Lian. My brother." The spirits swirled, and the horrible chanting grew louder. As did the growling. What the…?

Finally Nico stopped chanting. He looked puzzled. "I can't summon him."

"Why?" asked Lydia, alarmed. "What's wrong?"

Nico looked at her slowly. "He's alive."

There was silence. Well, besides my growling backpack. Lydia stood silent, dazed in relief and awe. I reached into my backpack to check what was wrong.

"Ah!" I yelped. Heads turned. An object fell out of my pack. Was it a…

"Seymour!" exclaimed Lydia. She looked at the snarling leopard head. "What's he doing here?"

It took me a second tomake the connection. "I think it's a gift from my father."

We all stood, trying to comprehend what had just happened. But the Fates had other things in mind.

Skeletons erupted from the ground. Nico looked around in alarm. "Back!" he shouted, but the undead paid him no heed.

"These are warriors sent by the command of your father, young master," said an evil voice.

I looked at the three meanest grannies in the world. Lamia's daycare seemed almost cuddly compared to the three beings I saw. What set them off were their leathery wings and flaming whips.

"Oh my gods," said Lydia. "The Kindly Ones."

"Step away from that demigod, young master," commanded a Kindly One. "He is branded with murder. We, the Furies, punishers of the wicked shall take care of him."

"What?" said Nico, shocked. He flinched away from us. I knew that nothing we could do would convince him otherwise. I estimated a few seconds before his surprise turned to anger because we didn't tell him.

Argus moved, his hand a blur. Nico crumpled to the ground. I winced, feeling really sorry. But we couldn't afford another enemy.

I looked bleakly at the skeleton army. Then at the angry Furies. Lydia looked at me. "Um, Glen? Now looks like a time to bust out the pine cone thing."

I blinked. "Oh right. I forgot." I reached for the cone at my neck. Instantly the lace unwound itself. There was a flash, and I was holding a bronze staff. At the top of the staff was a huge pine cone, also bronze.

I stared at it. "I was expecting a magic death ray." Lydia shrugged, and drew out her bow. Seymour snarled.

A skeleton warrior lunged at me, sword raised. I instinctively kicked Seymour at it. The leopard head began gnawing on the warrior's bone arm. The skeleton raised his sword.

Suddenly Seymour glowed purple, and he _grew_. A body formed, and he was bigger than the average leopard. A lot bigger.

I stared. "Did he just…evolve?" The skeleton warriors began attacking Seymour. As big as he was, the leopard was getting overwhelmed.

I went into Purple Ninja mode. Lydia shot arrows at the Furies, but they just whipped them out of the air with their whips. Argus tackled a Fury to the ground.

I charged at a skeleton, but he swiped a blade at me. I tried to dodge, but ended up clumsily avoiding it. I swore. It was the pine stick's fault. It was bulky and unwieldy, and I didn't have the strength to wield such a heavy object.

The third Fury looked at Argus pinning down the other Fury. The Fury struck with her whip, and the flaming weapon hit Argus on the back. The big guy roared in pain.

Lydia was backing up, edging toward the Styx as the Fury advanced on her. Seymour was stuck, and I was useless again.

I knew I had no choice. I had to go past the Purple Ninja. To the Red Beast, as I called it. I concentrated. The surge of power and manic rage flowed into me. The power was intoxicating, flooding through my consciousness. The wine red aura swirled around me.

I roared, and it was impressive (trust me on this one). A skeleton warrior turned, ready to strike. I moved with speed.

_Smash! _The pine stick felt light in my hands, and I struck the skeleton on the head with such force that his skull caved in.

The skeletons ditched Seymour, seeing me as a bigger threat. I whacked and smashed through them. The sounds of bones crunching was only drowned out by the roaring in my ears. The pine cone became a lethal part of my weapon, destroying armor and the bones underneath with every swing. And it felt so _light_.

The Fury who had whipped Argus turned and lashed out at me. I grabbed the fiery whip, not feeling the burn. I pulled, and my strength pulled along the Fury with the whip.

I drew back my fist.

I felt something break as my fist collided. The Fury tried to retaliate, but I pushed her back. Into my pine stick's range. A lethal swing, and then the Fury dissolved.

Lydia tried another arrow, but the Fury's whip lashed around her wrist. She cried out, and dropped her bow. The Fury cackled.

Then there was an angry snarl. The Fury turned, looking at an angry leopard. Seymour roared, and grabbed the Fury between his teeth. Before the Fury could react, Seymour flung her into the Styx.

A fresh wave of skeleton warriors erupted from the ground. I turned, but suddenly Argus was at my side. He grabbed Lydia and me and started running. The Red Beast faded, and so did my consciousness.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: The Sunshine Sorority

The worst thing about sleep is waking up. When I did, pain instantly assaulted my senses. The hangover stage of my powers was really a pain in the rear. Teeth clenched, I got up. Lydia and Argus were sitting on a bench. We were in a park.

"How in the world did we get here?" I asked.

"We escaped the Underworld," responded Lydia. "It took some convincing, but Charon allowed us through. We're in a park right now. We slept here last night."

I noticed the white mark on her wrist. It was a circular band, almost like a bracelet. I remember the harpy whip wound. "You should really heal that."

Lydia shrugged. "Already did. This is just the scar. Some wounds don't…full heal." I winced apologetically. Lydia looked slightly amused. "Don't feel bad, you've got one too.

I did? I remember holding on to the whip. Sure enough, there are burn marks on my hand. Looking at the scars, I realized that Lydia had healed them.

"Thanks," I said. "Where's Seymour?" Lydia shrugged again.

"He started licking his wounds at the Styx. No idea where he went afterward."

Well, then. I looked at my surroundings. The palm trees. This was California, all right. The real question was where the Daughters of the Sun were. "Are all quests as vague as these?" I complained.

"You keep forgetting that you committed a crime. The gods refuse to help you. That's the only reason we're having so much trouble." Lydia's straight forward answers could be brutal at times.

"So who are these Daughters of the Sun?" Lydia looked troubled. Argus frowned, and I noticed the bags under his eyes. What was wrong with him? But Lydia cut in before I could ask.

"I have no idea. I'm a daughter of the sun, but I don't think the empousa was talking about me. What is this a specific reference too? What daughters of Apollo were famous?"

"What about that Phaethon kid?" I ventured. "The guy who crashed the chariot?"

"No," said Lydia, frowning. "Phaethon was a guy, and he was the son of Helios-," she paused. "Oh my gods, the sun isn't Apollo. It's Helios."

"Does that matter?"

"Yeah…," said Lydia. "The Heliades. They tended Helios and his chariot. When Phaethon died they mourned for him. Zeus turned them into five trees. What type of trees were they again?"

"Poplars," I said immediately. Lydia glanced at me in surprise.

"Yeah," she said. "But how did you know?"

My heart is racing. "Five poplars," I said. "My mom used to take me to this park where we had picnics around there. She told me a story once. About people turning into trees..."

Argus straightened. Lydia looked at me. "Do you know where it is?"

I grinned. Finally, familiar ground. "Yeah. I do."

It was a two hour drive. We rented a car, though we weren't sure if we would be able to return it. It was relaxing, though, to finally just rest. Argus was probably in his half asleep mode as well. We finally got out, and I felt a wave of nostalgia. So close to home. Yet so far.

We went into the park. People were having picnics and everything was fine. I got to the five poplar trees. I remember my mom reading stories to me under their shade, and of fun times.

But I couldn't reminiscence now. There was a task at hand. We entered the space in which the five trees encircled. No one was in the area, which I had thought of odd before. Now I realized it was probably the Mist.

To be honest, I had no idea how we were going to call the Heliades out. But they appeared to us.

Five girls materialized. And wow, they were hot. No because they were the Daughters of the Sun. but they were just really good looking.

And yet, I felt cautious. There was no seductive charm as there was in the empousa. These girls radiated the same vibe as the mean, popular girls you see at schools. Attractive, but unattainable.

A girl with blond ringlets stepped toward us. Her lip was curled derisively. "A daughter of that Apollo should not be here."

Lydia and I exchanged glances. Not good. Lydia tried the diplomatic approach. "Look we're not looking for trouble. We just want to find Prometheus."

The leader of the group laughed scornfully. "And why would we tell you, daughter of the usurper?"

"Hey," I said stepping forward. "Leave her alone. She hasn't done anything wrong."

"No, but her father has," spat the girl. "Our father, Helios, is gone because the Greeks decided to downsize him."

I remembered what Lydia had said to me earlier. Now the injustice of it all was plain. "Back off," I said. "She's not Apollo. Leave her alone."

The girl laughed at me. "How little you know. Phaethon was a son of Helios, and yet Apollo had him killed."

"What?" said Lydia, frowning. "Phaethon died from careless driving."

Another girl stepped forward, her eyes burning bright. I realized that the group all had golden eyes. The lead girl stopped her. "Stop. They are trained at their safe little camp. They know so little. And what of the truth, half-bloods? Is that not what you are seeking on this quest?" What did she mean?

"Let me tell you what _really_ happened to Phaethon. After he had permission to ride the chariot, Apollo was to train him. But Apollo didn't do it well. You see, in those days Helios and Apollo were already fighting for the title as God of the Sun. Apollo knew that Phaethon was the pride and joy of Helios. He deliberately sabotaged him, forcing Zeus to kill Phaethon."

Lydia looked stunned. I imagine I looked the same. Even Argus looked slightly at loss. This was a clear suggestion of murder. I looked up at the sun. Suddenly it didn't seem so comforting.

The lead girl wasn't done talking. "And we lost Phaethon, our beloved brother." The pain in her voice was evident. But then it hardened. "And we will kill all children of Apollo."

"Come on," I protested. "Listen to reason."

"Do not talk about reason to me, Son of Madness. Though we wish it already, the order was actually given by our benefactor. He has no love for Apollo children."

"Benefactor?" asked Lydia. "Who, and what did he do for you."

Another girl piped up. "He offered us a brother. Phaethon cannot be replaced, but we now take care of Aaron." The leader shot a warning, but the words had already come out of her mouth.

Lydia looked at them. "Aaron?" she whispered. "You took my _brother_?" She sounded so scary that the Heliades actually looked nervous. Then the leader came back to her senses.

"It matters not. We serve our benefactor. That is all there is to know. Now die, Apollo's dau-,"

"_Where is he_?" snarled Lydia. I flinched at her unexpected reaction. I had never seen her so angry, even back at Lamia's daycare. The Heliades ignored her.

Suddenly the Heliades were wearing armor. Swords appeared in there hands, blades tainted with sickly green venom. The leader held out her hand, and a fiery orb appeared. It suddenly flared, and the light was blinding.

I felt someone tackle me. When I could see again, Argus was holding me. Lydia was running, and the Heliades were after her. I got up and started running, the Purple Ninja already in action.

I sprinted toward the Heliades, knife raised. People in the park were screaming. One Heliad turned to me, swinging her sword. I raised my knife.

Steel clanged against steel. To my surprise she wasn't that strong. It was the sword that was the problem. The venom corroded my knife. I stared at the useless piece of metal. It angered me. The knife that had gotten me so far was now a lump of melted bronze.

The Heliad swung again, but I ducked. No matter how dangerous her sword was, she couldn't swing it fast enough. I hit her on the side of the head with the hilt of the knife. She staggered, and I took the sword out of her hand.

She looked at me, and then started glowing bright. I remembered the empousa erupting in flames. I got the feeling the Heliad was trying the same thing. I couldn't let I happen, with so many mortals around.

Feeling more than a little guilty, I swung the sword. The Heliad wailed as she turned to nothing, a shriek that pierced the air. The other Heliades turned and looked at me.

The look they gave me made their hatred for Lydia look gentle. I tried to ignore the fact that I had killed someone. Again.

Two Heliades charged at me, completely forgetting Lydia. I hesitated, and they swung. It would have killed me, but Argus pulled me down. The swings whooshed by.

Argus tackled a Heliad to the ground. I kicked the other one and she fell, cursing. Lydia shot out an arrow. The Heliad still with the leader swung to intercept it. The moment the arrow touched the sword it erupted into a sonic boom.

The Heliad fell back, but the leader was unperturbed. She held out her hand, and the orb flared again. Lydia was blinded. From my distance, the shine didn't hurt me as much.

When I could fully see, the leader had her sword raised, ready to stab down. Lydia's eyes were still unfocused. Argus was pinning down the two Heliades. The third was getting up, recovering from the sonic arrow.

I had to do something. But I was too far away. Then it happened. My vision went purple, as if I were wearing tinted sunglasses of the color. I heard something strange in my ears. The music of…flutes? I saw the leader stabbing downward.

It's hard to describe what happened next. I saw something bright in her, energy. It looked so fragile. I reached out my hand and concentrated.

_ Crack_. A black crack, like lightning, branched out from my hand. It hit the energy. And suddenly the air wasn't purple and I was back in reality.

The leader was screaming. There was a look in her eyes, the look of insanity. I staggered, jarred. I wasn't exhausted, but I felt like I had done something wrong. I had tampered with sanity, something sacred to humans.

The leader whirled around, swinging her sword. The unlucky Heliad next to her had no time to react. A slash, and then the girl disintegrated.

Chaos rang through the park. Lydia got up, and I saw her hesitate. I knew she wanted to find out about her brother. I grabbed a Heliad by the armor. "Where's Prometheus?"

The Heliad looked at me, a mixture of defeat and despair. "Mount Tam."

I looked at her. "What do you want to do?"

She thought about it. "I've thought that he was dead for the last few years. If he's alive, then I'm sure he can wait." She obviously wanted to find him, but she also knew that the quest needed to be completed.

Argus lumbered up to us. He looked at us quizzically. The message was clear. _Where do we go now? _

I looked into the distance. "I know a place."

A woman came out of Romano's, smiling. I stepped out to intercept her at the door. I smiled, albeit tiredly. "Had a good tip?"


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: R&R

There was hugging, but no tears. Neither my mother nor I were big criers, and I suspected that Dionysus wasn't so big on bawling either. We drove home, and for the first time in a while I felt relaxed.

The moment we got in, Argus collapsed on the couch and started sleeping. I guess even he needed to rest. My mom went into our tiny kitchen to rustle up some food.

Lydia and I waited in my room. It was small and insignificant in size, but the room was still home. I'm not good at talking, but I tried for conversation.

"So, your brother." Maybe not one of the best topics to start out with.

Lydia looked at me. _Definitely_ not the best to start out with. But she just shrugged. "Yeah. He's alive."

I look at her, surprised. "Aren't you…well, excited?"

Again with the shrug. "Maybe, but I know he's alive. I was only surprised in the beginning. Now I realize that he's probably having his own adventures. If the Fates allow it, then I will meet him one day."

I stared at her in disbelief. "You seemed pretty angry back there."

"That's true. But after what you did to that Heliad I'm starting to feel more sympathetic."

"Hey," I said. "I was saving you."

She let it drop. But I still had questions to ask. "So what about your brother, what are you going-,"

She cut me off. "I'm not going to do anything now. We have this quest to do." She seemed suddenly irritable, and suddenly the last few days of stress were released. "You know what your problem is, Glen? You're quick to judge. Can't you see that people are more than their parents, and they are themselves, not their siblings? I care for my brother, I really do, but moping for him isn't going to do me any good. So stop being so _shallow_."

I knew that her frustration wasn't directed at me, but I still felt hurt. I was idiotic at times, often blunt, but the way she used the word shallow at me was a first. In that one word she made it clear to me that she thought me as nothing more than a demigod who liked to break things.

The accusation was painful. "Look," I said. "I know I'm stupid sometimes, but I'm not shallow."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?" It was an invitation.

I swallowed. I'm not the type to openly talk about feelings, and I wasn't exactly verbose with feelings. "Lamia," I said.

She looked at me, anger temporarily replaced by curiosity. "Go on."

"She's scary," I began. "But the thing that really gets me isn't what she is. It's what she had become. She was human, but when she lost her sanity she became a monster. And well, I thought…," I trailed off. It was a lurking fear: how different was I from a monster?

She hesitated. "I'm sure there's a fine line between you and _that_."

"I broke Adrian."

"But you didn't eat him." It was a rare moment, and be both cracked a smile.

My mother popped in. "Food's ready," she said.

I had to admit, my mother's food was good. Not just because it was home, and I hadn't had a decent me in a while. The food was delicious. I frowned. "Did your cooking get better?"

My mom turned red, something that didn't happen often. "I'm taking lessons," she said quietly. Also uncharacteristic of her.

She changed the subject. "So, what happened?" We gave an explanation, a lengthy one. I'd have liked to leave out all the moments I did something wrong, but then we would have no explanation.

At last, my mom nodded. "Sounds like a lot of trouble." It was an understatement. We talked a bit more. I learned a few things. Like my pine stick was a _thyrsus_. Ridiculously hard to spell, I know.

But nothing really helped me. I still had to kill the Chimera, no matter how close to home I was.

"Should we use that?" I asked, nodding toward the sword I had taken from the Heliad. After a while a black sheath made from scales had appeared on it. Strange. No one looked particularly willing to use the sword, and I felt a sense of evil when I held it.

Another question lingered in the air. The benefactor. Who was it? But that was a question that would be answered in another time. Another quest.

Finally the talking was done. Lydia fell asleep, and it was just my mom and me. She went to clean the dishes. I looked around at the apartment, trying to soak in the familiar environment. We left for Mount Tam tomorrow, after all.

Then I spotted it. On the counter, a never before seen sheet of paper. I picked it up, and read it. It was a form for cooking class.

"I've been taking classes," said my mom quietly. I turned, unable to fight the smile.

"Mom, that's great! The food is terrific. Why haven't you taken classes before?" My mom looked at me, and my smile faded.

"Glen," she said uncomfortably, "Money has always been a little tight for us. There are some things that we can't afford."

I remembered Reid Green. It seemed so long ago, but suddenly I felt red with embarrassment. I had never thought of us as poor. Sure things were sometimes a little rough, but we had always managed to get by.

On the other hand, it was a single mother as a waitress raising a child. Not exactly an ideal life of luxury. "Then why are you taking classes now?"

My mom looked pained. "Glen, I love you." Uh-oh. The prelude to disaster. "But I've always wanted to have a career in cooking." It made sense, I suppose.

She continued. "But then Dionysus came along. And well...one thing led to another. And you were born."

"I was an _accident_?"

"No! Of course not!" I saw the truth in her statement just by looking at her eyes. "I made the decision. But Glen, you'll realize one day. In order to protect what you love the most, you must let go of other things."

"Then why did you start cooking class?"

The look of guilt. "You were gone, Glen. My time opened up. There was an opportunity."

I knew it wasn't her fault. It was a reasonable decision. She decided to pursue her dreams again. On the other hand, I had just traveled to the opposite end of America only to realize I was a hindrance. Everyone I met I had messed up their life in one way or another. Even my mother.

I looked at the apartment. I thought about the sacrifices my mother had made to care for me. This was my home.

And her prison. _In order to protect what you love the most, you must let go of other things_. I blinked. Then I got up.

"I-, I should go," I said shakily. My mother looked alarm.

"Glen-,"

"We're running out of time anyway," I said loudly. "And Prometheus doesn't like to wait." I moved to Lydia and Argus. I shook them awake. "Get up."

Argus blinked slowly. Lydia groaned. "But we just fell asleep-,"

"We're going."

Lydia looked at me, annoyed. "Are you okay? It can wait till tomo-,"

"_We're going!_" I snarled. Anger burst from me. I'm not sure about how I looked, but Lydia stopped talking. She got up slowly. Argus got up, eyes wide. I walked through the door.

My rest and relaxation was over.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Vulture Bashing

Ok. So things did not go well. Not anything does anymore. The drive to Mount Tam wasn't relaxing. A kind of numbness flooded my senses, and we just drove on. Argus yawned occasionally, and Lydia sometimes made a comment, but that was all. At last we got there.

We opened the door, and I was immediately assaulted by the smell of eucalyptus. Lydia looked around uneasily. I knew what she was feeling. This was Mount Othrys, and I could feel the power radiating off the very mountain.

We walked into the Mist. It was quiet walking, and then Lydia spoke. "You should appreciate your mother."

"I know," my voice came out far more miserable than intended. "I just feel… disconnected to her."

Lydia nodded, one of the rare moments of understanding that didn't involve screaming. "I know the feeling. After Aaron went missing, my mother and I… well we fell apart in a way."

She left it at that, and I nodded. One of the good things about Greek quests is that terror usually leaves little time for depressing introspection.

And so we met Ladon. It was huge, and smelly. The heads were all jumbled up, but that didn't make it less terrifying. This was an offspring of Echidna and Typhon. Knowing that I might have to fight Echidna, I hoped that Ladon took after his father.

Argus tensed beside me, and I had a feeling that we needed to get out of here quickly.

Then the Hesperides appeared. Another group of good looking girls. I hoped I didn't have to kill them like the last group.

The leader spoke. "You have five seconds before we let Ladon loose."

Lydia spoke. "We're here to see Prometheus."

The Hesperides didn't move. "We cannot allow you to pass without some precedent."

"Like what?" I asked.

"Perhaps a sign from the gods."

I looked at the cloudy sky. "I don't think that that will be happening anytime soon." I wondered how we were going to meet Prometheus before Ladon killed us, but the Titan came to us instead.

There was a shimmering and then a man appeared in a tuxedo. Many scars were on his face, some were red, freshly made. Still, he smiled politely at the Hesperides.

"Ladies," he said. The Hesperides looked distasteful.

"_Lord_ Prometheus. If that is still your title," said the leader coldly.

Prometheus seemed unbothered. "Titles are unimportant, the war's over isn't it?" The Hesperides remained unsmiling. Prometheus turned his attention to us. "And as for these heroes, I think I'll let them come with me."

My heart jolted. That was easy. But the Hesperides seemed reluctant to let us go. Finally the leader spoke.

"Very well, lord, but let me remind you that it is almost time for _that_." At those words, Prometheus flinched. But he smiled again nonetheless.

"Excellent. Follow me now, young heroes."

We walked for another while, trailing behind the seven foot tall man. The scenery was desolate. Then I looked saw huge ruins of black marble, strewn around. Prometheus walked into the remains of a large castle.

There was no door. In fact, most of the walls had crumbled. The inside of the ruined castle was a mess. Bits and pieces of marble were everywhere. In the center of the room, the remains of a throne were still there. More distracting was the huge scorch mark that it was standing on.

Prometheus nodded. "Jason Grace did that. And that," he said pointing to the remains of a wall, "that happened when Krios was sent flying."

I nodded, almost politely. In the distance, a thunderclap was heard. But as I listened closely it started to sound like someone shouting.

Prometheus seemed to read my mind. "Atlas," he said. "Still a little sore about his burden. The gods didn't need to give him a new punishment; his old one was good enough."

"And what about you?" asked Lydia. "What about your new punishment?" I looked at her, but Prometheus smiled painfully.

"Ah yes…that. I suppose Zeus was looking for a little sport when he created it. But heroes, what about you? What do you desire?"

I began to speak, but Lydia stopped me. "Listen, Glen," she said. "I'm not so sure about this. Can we trust him?"

I wanted to say yes, but between Lydia and the Titan I trusted Lydia more. A lot more, I realized. The quest had really brought us closer together. As long as you don't raise a question about her personal life.

Lydia wasn't done talking. "Glen, this guy is the ultimate opportunist. He's crafty, and he likes to choose the winning side. Prometheus has never been bound by loyalty, and we can't hold him to a promise."

I eyed Prometheus warily. "I suppose it would be useless to ask you to confirm this."

"Quite," he agreed. "But let me ask you this: you call me opportunistic, but what do I have to gain or lose from answering your question?"

That was a pretty good question. Lydia and I were stumped. Prometheus looked at us, and started talking again.

"Listen, heroes," he said gently. "I know of your troubles, and I will offer you the best help I can. I swear it on the Styx."

A swear on the Styx? That was a pretty good deal. I turned to Prometheus. "Where is the Chimera?"

A moment passed. A shadow crossed Prometheus' face. "I know the place…but I do not want to tell you."

"See?" said Lydia angrily. "I knew he wouldn't help us."

"Do not be hasty in judgment, heroes," said Prometheus. There was pain in his eyes, like a person who had to let go of something important. "I am trying to offer you the best help. And not fighting the Chimera is the best possibility."

"But we have to," I protested. "That's the quest."

Prometheus laughed bitterly. "This is no quest. This is a death sentence. You have been charged with a crime, Glen Faulkner. The gods will not send you help. No, they prefer to sit on their thrones and laugh at you. You are amusement for them."

I could feel a subtle anger in his voice. "Why are you so upset by this?" I asked. "You're not mortal."

"Yes, but mortals are my people. Pandora's _pithos _turned my beloved humans into the playthings of the gods, subject to a world of pain. They are torturing my children, and I can do nothing about it."

Lydia was still watching Prometheus cautiously. I knew that I should too, but something about him saddened me. Call it a gut feeling, but I felt that despite his trickery Prometheus cared for the human race.

I asked him my other question. "You don't think that we should fight the Chimera. Why? What is the outcome?"

Prometheus was solemn. "All three of you will die. I am certain."

"As certain as you were about the second Titan War?" asked Lydia.

Prometheus looked truly lost when she said that. "Ah, yes. That." He shook his head. "I don't know. I simply don't understand. The Titans should have won. Why didn't they? Am I missing a part of the equation?"

It was a philosophical question, the type that I hated. There was never a nice, straightforward answer to those. And yet, I think I knew this one. "I know the missing part of your equation," I said.

Prometheus looked surprised. "Really now?"

And then the vulture descended. There was a caw and then something flew at us. Prometheus swore. "The vulture."

Lydia stared. "But it's metallic."

Prometheus nodded. "After the war, Zeus decided to bring back the vulture. In the olden days my son Deucalion would scare it off, so Zeus had Hephaestus make an automaton version instead."

"Why didn't you just destroy it?" I asked. Prometheus shrugged.

"They might send something worse. I'm constantly on the run, but the vulture has a homing signal."

I don't know why I felt so sorry for Prometheus. I guess it was comforting to know that someone who had tried to make everything better had failed instead. I could relate in a way.

"I'll stop the vulture," I said. Prometheus looked at me in warning. I could tell that his counseling was saying to not do it.

But I ignored it. I felt the Purple Ninja upon me. The vulture swooped down at Prometheus. I grabbed for my knife, but it wasn't there. I remembered the Heliad melting my knife.

Oh Hades. The vulture pecked at Prometheus and flew back up. Then it got ready for a second swoop. It dove. I jumped on Prometheus' shoulder. Before the Titan could react, I launched off him and onto the vulture.

The bird screeched, the sound like sharp scraping metal. It flew up, carrying me with it. Strange, this was just like the gryphon. And that seemed so long ago.

I had no weapon but the poisoned sword or the thyrsus. I went for the pine stick.

Before I could summon the Red Beast however the vulture flipped in the air. I grabbed on for my life. The thyrsus fell to the ground.

The vulture screeched again, frustrated. A cord popped out of is body, an electric current running through it. The cord reared like a snake, and then it struck at me.

I wasn't a fan of the poison sword, but now was time to use it. I slashed out at the cord. Good news: the cord melted to nothing. Bad news: the shock still hit me. A strong jolt went through my right arm. I couldn't move it. The vulture flipped again. I switched sword hands and stabbed into the vulture.

I gripped the hilt tightly, and for an excruciatingly painful moment I managed to hold on upside down with one hand. The bad news was that the sword was corroding the inside of the vulture. I had seconds before the automaton fell to pieces and I plummeted to my death.

On the bright side, I could feel my right arm again. If it weren't for the adrenaline, the pain in my left arm from holding on would have been too much. Time for some desperate tactics.

I activated the Red Beast. With a roar, I punched the vulture. Again. Again. I was aware of my knuckles breaking. That didn't matter. My punches plus the corrosion broke through the metallic exterior of the vulture.

Thank whatever god that was rooting for me that the vulture righted over again. Now the real problem was here: landing the vulture. But the vulture refused to go on land. I needed an incentive for it.

And there it was: Prometheus. "Get him" I yelled. The vulture swooped for the Titan. I didn't hit it on the way down; if it thought that I was the bigger threat it might stop attacking Prometheus.

The Titan in question looked at us, eyes widened. There were only about ten meters between us. I took the sword and slashed off a wing. Instantly the automaton began to pinwheel. Then we crashed. Hard.

I woke up. That is probably the best thing that happened to me in my life. The fact that I was awake, alive.

Then the pain kicked in. I blacked out, only to regain consciousness a while later. "He's awake" I heard Lydia say.

Argus was holding me. Prometheus was standing a few feet back, looking mildly concerned. I spoke, surprised that I could. "I'm alive."

Lydia nodded. She was at my side. "Prometheus healed the major injuries. We gave you more nectar than we should have, but considering that you're the son of the god of _wine_, you should be okay."

I got up, another impressive feat. I flexed my knuckles, which were in perfect order. I looked at Prometheus. "Feel free to join us on the quest. We could use someone to patch us up."

Prometheus laughed. "The gods would violently dismember me for that. But tell me, Glen Faulkner. Once again I was wrong. You survived the vulture. What am I missing in my predictions?"

"Bravery," I said simply. "No matter what the odds, those who are brave can overcome many obstacles. I don't think that the greatest gift you gave to man was fire. No matter how well you predict things, courage can't be measured."

Prometheus nodded. "I might have heard that from a movie. Hmm. That's heavily troubling. As a being of rationality I find the concept hard to stomach."

I shrugged. "As the son of Madness, I find it perfectly normal."

Prometheus smiled. "It seems that I may still learn things. You will find the Chimera at the Grand Canyon. Let this guide you." A little mud man appeared from the ground. With a hop, it landed in my backpack.

Prometheus looked at me. "But first, you need to see someone." With a wave of his hand, I was gone.

My mom looked at me in surprise. I was standing in the kitchen. I felt a lump in my throat, and I knew right there that I loved her.

"I'll be back," I said. "I swear it." And then I was gone, back to Mount Tam.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Throwing Caution to the Wind

The mud man was a load of trouble. Apparently it was only designed to get us to the Grand Canyon with only the quickest, most direct route. As soon as we got in the car, it began thrashing. I grabbed it quickly, but that didn't try to stop it from wriggling out of my grasp.

I watched in curious fascination as the mud man tried to open the door. Then it suddenly curled up into a mud ball. For a moment it seemed safe. Then the mud ball hovered in the air and started to glow.

_Wham! _The mud ball rammed into the window with so much force that the window cracked. Argus grabbed it, and we managed to contain it. The mud ball uncurled, but the mud man started to skulk. Lydia decided to call it Glen Jr. much to my displeasure.

Driving to the Grand Canyon would be a long drive, but it turned out that we didn't drive after all.

All thanks to those pesky Stymphalian birds. They swooped down from nowhere the moment we began driving. Feathers rained down on us, and the windows shattered.

Argus made a noise, which clearly meant for us to get out of the car. We did, and I saw the flock.

Immediately I winced. After the vulture I wasn't in the mood to fight more metallic birds. I looked at Lydia.

"How do we stop them?"

"I remember Hercules scared them into the air. And Percy Jackson got them with really bad music."

"Can we do that?" I shouted over the metallic screeches. Lydia shrugged.

"They're already in the air, but I don't think I can shoot them all."

Great. The birds looked at us with the same killer intent that the gryphon had given me. Ah, good times.

Feathers flew down in one single unified mass. I looked bleakly, knowing that we couldn't outrun it or block it.

And then the air shimmered. The feathers slowed down in there descent, and then a breeze swept it off. I looked, amazed. "What just happened?"

"I did." We looked back to see a shimmering form. A young man stood there, wearing a silk suit. It was gray, and seemed to shimmer, slightly translucent. The man radiated power, but it was gentle. I felt a warm breeze blow by, a sense of relaxation.

Lydia bowed. "Lord Zephyr, the West Wind," she said. Argus bowed, and I followed suit.

Zephyr smiled kindly. Lydia pressed on. "We thank you for saving us, Lord Zephyr, but why?"

Zephyr looked at the birds circling up ahead. He frowned. "Those birds have been flying in the skies for too long. They are scaring away other birds, and my gentle winds are for naught. I wish them to be gone."

"And why aren't they gone?" I asked. "Aren't you a god?"

Such a question of power might have given me a godly smack, but Zephyr was apparently made of softer stuff. He nodded. "Alas, I would. But I am a gentle wind god, and I cannot destroy the birds."

"Great," I muttered irritably. To his credit, Zephyr still smiled.

"Yes," he said. "Laugh at my power. As do all men. And yet at sea, who do they pray too? Not Boreas, with his powerfully chilling winds. No, they ask for the blessing of little Zephyr. Sometimes the gentler aspects of life are more valuable, Glen."

"I'll store that anecdote in some crevice of my mind," I said. "But let's focus on the task at hand."

"Ah. Yes." Zephyr looked up at the sky. "What are we to do?"

"I can try to shoot them down," offered Lydia. "But I can't guarantee an accurate shot from this range."

"Hmmm. It seems that they hold their advantage in position. We need leverage," observed Zephyr.

"Why don't you fly us up there?" I asked. It seemed like an obvious choice. But Lydia shook her head.

"I don't think Zeus really wants you in his territory right now, Glen."

"And from what I heard from the seas, neither does Poseidon," said Zephyr.

"We can consider my options later," I said. "Send us up."

"Very well," said Zephyr. I felt a warm air at my feet. I looked down and we were floating. And then we went up.

It should have been freezing, but Zephyr protected us. The Stymphalian birds squawked in surprise, and then attacked. But the birds were nothing without their height advantage.

We dominated, and that felt good. I went into Red Beast and ripped through the flock. Occasionally a bird would zoom at me, past my guard. Lydia aimed carefully, pegging all the birds that I couldn't react to. Argus smashed birds, and with his eyes he had no blind spot.

Zephyr occasionally sent a whirlwind to blowback the birds. Soon the flock was gone. I'd like to say it ended at that, teamwork and high morale.

Then lightning struck. It missed me, but ozone stench filled the space. A voice emitted from the clouds. The others yelped, but the clouds obscured them from me.

"_Glen Faulkner_." I was alone with the entity known as Zeus.

"Lord Zeus," I said, sounding feeble. "How's it going?"

"_Do you wish to bear the wrath of the gods right now_?"

"It can wait," I said in a small voice. There was a moment of silence.

"_I will spare you. But your death will come soon enough. Go to Zephyr and tell him that I command him to whisk you off to the Grand Canyon_."

"Really? Gee, thanks." And who said that gods couldn't be nice?

"_Do not be thankful. I am merely impatient of all these detours. The sooner the Chimera kills you the sooner your crime is paid_." Maybe not that nice.

I felt my throat constrict. "So the quest really was meant for me to die."

But the clouds receded, and the next thing I knew I was on the ground, with Lydia and Argus. Zephyr hovered over us, looking concerned.

"Do you need help?"

I looked at him. "Can you get us to Arizona?"


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: The Hidden Palace

The wind died, and we were in the Grand Canyon. Zephyr had transported us to a cliff, and for a moment I was struck by the sheer beauty of the canyon. Then Glen Jr. jumped off the cliff.

He hit the ground and flattened into a mud pancake. I winced, but then the mud reformed, and Glen Jr. was whole again. We began to climb down the cliff. It was no easy task, but we had to hurry. The sun was setting, and while the canyon looked awesome we had limited time.

Following Glen Jr. we walked for hours. As we did, I felt a pounding from my heart. This was it. After all our adventures we would finally fight the Chimera. And then I would be pardoned. Then again, Zeus was hoping that I would die. The prophecy was vague, but I was pretty sure it sided with Zeus on the matter of my death.

Argus trailed ahead of us, and Lydia and I talked. "Alright," she said. "Let's talk strategy."

"Can't we just find them and charge in?"

Lydia rolled her eyes. "Right. Look, we let's go over the prophecy. It says that the Chimera is your bane, so let me fight it."

I looked at her. "What?" Lydia gave me an exasperated look.

"Now's not the time to be stubborn Glen. I can take down the Chimera at a range, while you can attack Echidna."

Oh, right. The Chimera's mom, Echidna. I didn't even want to think about the anatomical miracles it took for her to produce her offspring.

It was logical, something Annabeth would suggest. But I didn't want to do it. Call me impulsive, but isn't that what a hero is? Selflessly throwing themselves in danger despite the risks?

But I wasn't a hero. I was a criminal, a Greek one. You'd think that they would be more lenient on the matter. After all, it's not liked I killed my father and married my mother or anything. Though I suppose killing a person was just as bad.

Argus sat down suddenly, and we stopped walking. The guy looked pretty tired. He seemed to be weary ever since the Underworld trip. I went up to him. "You okay, man?"

He smiled, and got up. It was nice to know that there were people who still smiled at me. We started walking for a while, and then Glen Jr. stopped.

We were facing a wall of rock, seemingly normal. Then Glen Jr. touched part of the rock and it crumbled away. There was a cave. I looked at Argus. He shrugged.

Lydia looked nervous. "Should we go in?"

That seemed like a very good question. But I wanted to do something. I looked up at the sky. "Father," I said. "Let our quest end well." It seemed like a long shot, but I hoped my prayer would be answered. I took the poisoned sword and its black sheath. "I sacrifice this to Dionysus."

There was a scent of grapes, a flash, and then the sword vanished. Lydia looked slightly troubled. "Do you really think that you have given away a weapon?"

"Did you really want to use it?" I retorted. I didn't get a response. We all felt the almost evil aura of the sword, a power coming from it that made us feel uneasy. I was glad that it was gone.

"Besides," I said, "we have a god's blessing now. I think." And then I walked into the cave.

The cave was a tunnel that led into a room. Inside, the interior was stunning. Imagine a giant palace, complete with tiling. Torches and braziers lit the room, and Greek pillars held it up.

There was a roof as well, but at the center of it was the open sky. It was a dark blue, with dazzling stars. I had to admit, the person who had done the interior designing in here was amazing.

One thing confused me. "Wait, this is all inside the Grand Canyon?"

Lydia shook her head, though she was just as stunned as I was. "The Mist is probably extremely concentrated in this place. But where is this?"

I understood what she meant. Places in Greek mythology had been transferred to America. But where was this place?

I looked at the sky again, still not fully able to comprehend the sheer impossibility of the palace.

Then a voice spoke. Feminine, with an evil cackle to it. It reminded me of Lamia, except more wicked in tone. "Welcome young heroes to my ancient abode."

Without looking at where the voice came from, I knew that the final battle had begun.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: The Epic Climax

Sorry to interrupt your cinematic visualizing experience of the adventure, but the fat lady kind of already ruined it. Sorry.

I had expected a monstrosity from the voice. I mean, the lady was no looker, but calling people monsters was a little mean. Assuming that this was a mortal, and not the monster I think it was.

"Echidna," I said. The lady smiled. The air was silent for a moment, and then loud yipping penetrated the air.

"Hush now, sonny," said Echidna. I looked at Lydia. _Did she just call the dog her son_? Echidna looked at us. "Heroes," she said, licking her lips in a way that definitely was not human. "I'm going to devour you anyway, but give me a reason as to why you are here."

"We're here to slay the Chimera," I said, surprised by how confident I sounded. We had fought countless monsters, and for a moment I had thought that I was getting used to this entire monster slaying business.

Then Echidna smiled, and the thought faded. "I see. You want to slay my son?" Cue the dog barking loudly. "Well, that is a lot harder than you think. My son here has killed hundreds of potential heroes."

"Bellerophon did it," said Lydia. Echidna snarled.

"He got lucky. He had a horse."

I looked at her. "And that made it better _how_?"

"It was _flying_." The dog was changing. It must have recognized some of the names. It had a lion's head and front paws. The body of its lower half and hind legs were that of a goat. There was a huge diamondback snake from his rear.

It was the Chimera. Fear caught onto me instantly. It was okay to sound brave and formulate strategies from afar, but this was the real thing. The Chimera was savage, a monster more powerful than anything that we had ever faced. I shook. Lydia grasped her bow tightly, her hands turning white.

The Echidna was looking beyond us, and what she saw turned her face into a contorted look of anger. "Argus," she spat. I remembered that Argus had killed Echidna before. Slightly reassuring.

Echidna transformed. Her body was like Lamia's: a snake trunk and an armored female body. What was different was the sheer size of Echidna. Argus pulled out a bronze police baton.

I looked at Lydia. "Do you have a knife?" She looked at the Chimera, stunned in terror. I shook her. "Lydia."

She looked at me, startled. "What? Oh…right. Here." She handed me a knife.

I tried to look brave. It didn't work. I tried for some inspiring words. "Last chance. Take your pick: the monster Chihuahua or the demonic anteater."

"I am not an anteater!" howled Echidna. Lydia smiled, and drew her bow.

The battle began. The Chimera lunged, but Lydia shot an arrow. It flew at the Chimera at mid-leap. Then the snake tail whipped out and snatched the arrow.

Argus and I charged Echidna. Her tail swept at us. I activated the Purple Ninja and jumped over the tail. Argus leapt to a side.

"Hmmm," mused Echidna. "You aren't afraid. The blessing of Dionysus? It will not save you." A spear appeared in her hands, and she jabbed.

I dodged the school flagpole sized weapon. "You don't scare me," I taunted, the adrenaline getting the better of me.

But Echidna only smiled again. "Foolish hero. You mistake the wine god's blessing for courage. Your father cannot save you." A net materialized in her other hand.

I climbed up her snake trunk, but she twisted and I hastily jumped off.

Argus snuck up from the side. Echidna jabbed at me repeatedly with the spear, in a fierce tempo. I swear she was thrusting the spear to the tune of Jingle bells. On the other hand, I could be delusional.

Argus struck, the baton lashing out at Echidna's elbow. There was a jarring sound of baton to funny bone, and a yelp. The spear dropped. I scrambled to a side.

I saw Lydia running back for more distance between her and the Chimera. The monster was catching up to her.

Argus grabbed me and tried to pull me away. _Slam_! The snake trunk sent both of us skidding. Echidna threw the net. I picked myself up and sprung away. I was too quick for the net.

But Argus staggered up far too slowly. In an instant, the net was on him. I stared, momentarily stunned. Echidna cackled. "Getting slower with age, aren't we Argus?"

Argus tried to remove the net, but barbs gouged him. His shirt tattered, and I saw his back. I recoiled.

His back was red, raw and angry. His eyes were sealed shut from scars. I was at a loss for words. "Argus-what-when-?"

But I remembered. It was during the Underworld, when the Furies had whipped him on the back. I had assumed he was healed, but evidently not. Lydia told me that Argus slept by closing half of his eyes to keep constant vigilance. No doubt the burns messed with his sleep cycles. And he had selflessly continued to look out for us.

I didn't have time for further contemplation. Echidna slithered forward, and I felt a wave of rage. I ran and jumped, slamming the knife hilt into her face. I fell down and slashed her side. Monster powder flowed out, but then the wound closed. Great.

The powder reformed into a Dracaena. Argus gave me a look that said _she wasn't able to do that before_. The snake woman slashed at me with a sword. Then it disintegrated, an arrow planted between her shoulders.

I glanced to see Lydia, who shot the arrow. She shot another arrow at the Chimera. The snake snapped forward, and a boom erupted from the sonic arrow. The snake recoiled, stunned.

I turned back to Echidna and chided myself for looking away. Her tail had curled around her spear, with a look that clearly said that she was going to throw it. Argus was still struggling with the net. I took a risk.

The air turned purple. I concentrated, and a horrible _crack _happened as I broke Echidna's mind. She screamed, and dropped the spear. I charged, but Echidna started flailing. Her snake trunk hit me. Hard.

I toppled on the ground. The Purple Ninja was fading. I tried to summon the Red Beast, but the energy wasn't happening. Echidna seemed to regain her sanity, but she looked angry. Extremely angry.

"_YOU DARE DO THAT TO ME, HERO? SONNY!_" she snarled. The Chimera, stood on its hind legs. Lydia shot an arrow, but he swiped away with a claw. Lydia was too close to him. She seemed to realize it, but the snake struck. Lydia screamed, and collapsed.

I watched in horror as the Chimera picked Lydia up with his mouth and lumbered over to Echidna's side. He dropped Lydia.

Echidna's tail wrapped around Lydia's arm and squeezed. There was a crunch of bones breaking. Another scream. Echidna's laughter. Somewhere in the back of my mind I feel that this isn't right. This isn't how it should end.

"So feeble," said Echidna. "Heroes these days are weak. Do you like it, Glen Faulkner? Your friends being broken right in front of you. Where is your courage now?"

And an anger floods into me. But it feels different. I don't just feel angry, I feel fierce. I feel the need to destroy the monsters for a reason. To protect my friends.

And the Red Beast appears, a fusion of berserk rage and this new anger that I feel. I charged at the Chimera.

Why? Because it felt right. I knew I had to kill it. The knife drops, and the thyrsus is in my hands. The snake strikes, fangs piercing. I feel it penetrate my shoulder. I swing the pine staff.

It hits the Chimera on the face square on. I don't stop. The thyrsus whips back and forth, smashing the Chimera's lion head.

The rest is bloody, and gory. The snake strikes, numerous of times. Past the number of fatal bites. My attacks don't slow. In the corner of my eye, I see Argus get up and charge the Echidna.

The Chimera is afraid. It's a bully, unaccustomed to a victim who can fight back for so long. I roar, and pound. The thyrsus breaks. The snake strikes, and I rip it off with my hands. I'm unstoppable.

And from the back of my mind I know I'm also very dead. The lion claws rake my body. My fists break, the knuckles and then the wrist. I don't stop.

I rip the Chimera apart. An explosion of powder hits me and I fall. Time slows down, as if the Fates don't want me to miss the final conclusion of the quest.

Argus grabs Echidna by the trunk, just as he did to Lamia. Lydia plunges the arrow in with her good hand. I may have smiled. A flare arrow. My vision lights up as if the room was filled by a miniature sun.

And then my vision darkens. I feel myself fade. As I slip out of consciousness and life, I realize that I miss my mother.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Aftershock

Lydia stumbled up, exhausted and dying. Her arm was broken and poison traveled through her veins like fire. And yet all of this was engulfed by the feeling of grief that she was now overcome with.

She refused to look at it. That mangled thing that was once Glen Faulkner, now only a maimed shell. They had won, ultimately. And yet it didn't matter to her anymore. For all the time that they traveled together Lydia had never been more aware of their friendship until now.

Lydia stumbled, her knee giving away. The floor was caked with monster powder from Echidna. Argus was on the ground on his back breathing heavily. Then it happened. The powder began moving and transforming.

At last the residue of Echidna turned into ten dracaena warriors. Lydia didn't feel fear. She just felt the despair of one who knows that they are on the brink of death. Argus groaned in defeat. It was over.

And then the brilliant light of a supernova erupted in the center. Lydia averted her eyes just in time. When she could see again all the snake monsters were gone, scorch marks on the places they had been. A man appeared blond hair and a brilliant smile.

Lydia winced. "Stop smiling."

Then man stopped smiling. "What?"

"Your teeth are abnormally bright. It hurts my eyes."

The man laughed. "Feisty. But then again, you're my daughter, so it's expected." Lydia looked at him for a moment, uncomprehending.

"Apollo? Father?" That was all she got out, for then she buckled from the pain of her injuries. Apollo was there to catch her instantly.

"I got you," he said gently, with the tenderness that only a father can have. He touched Lydia's arm and instantly she felt all the pain drain away from her. Lydia sat down drowsily. Apollo chuckled.

"That should take a lot out of you, even after the healing. You used to fall and get hurt all the time when you were little."

Lydia didn't seem to hear what he said. Instead she asked a question. "Is Aaron still fine?"

Apollo stood there for a moment. "He's fine." Lydia relaxed.

"Are you going to tell me more?"

Apollo cocked his head. "I don't think so. Another day, another prophecy."

Lydia scowled. "This is why mom left you."

"Nonsense. Everyone wants a man of mystery."

"You proposed to her in haiku."

"And the rest is history. See? She was persuaded by my obvious charm."

"Was this before or after you told her you were an all powerful god?"

Apollo scowled. "Doesn't matter. Say, what's that?" He pointed.

Lydia looked and faltered. She felt guilty for forgetting, even for a moment. "Not what," she said tightly. "Who."

"Hm? Is that…oh, that's Glen Faulkner. Ouch." Apollo looked apologetic, but Lydia suspected pity for mortals wasn't one of his strong points.

"Can't you heal him?" she pleaded.

Apollo shook his head. "He's already dead. The best I can do is this." Apollo waved his hand. Instantly the mauled remains transformed and healed back into a recognizable Glen Faulkner.

Lydia looked, forlorn. "Oh my gods…what am I going to tell his mother?" She felt ready to break down into tears.

A flash, and then another formed appeared. It was a god in dark purple, and a thyrsus. He was tall and handsome, his eyes a little red. Lydia frowned.

"Who are you-?"

"I'm Dionysus. Don't recognize me? Yes well that's because I'm handsome." He glared at Lydia, who shrank back. Dionysus looked at Apollo. "Can you not heal him?"

Apollo shrugged. "He's dead. He's in the court of you know who now."

Dionysus sighed, and in that moment he looked more human than god. Then the moment was over. "Very well," he said. "Then I must go."

Dionysus sped to the Underworld at a speed that only gods could travel at. He stopped at the gates of the Underworld, as the Ancient Laws prevented him from entering another god's sacred domain without permission.

Cerberus snarled a roar that could blast most souls to smithereens. Dionysus snarled back. "I'm in a bad mood today, dog. Fetch Hades."

The smell of wine filled the air. Cerberus whimpered. Then the gates opened. Dionysus had been allowed entrance. In a flash, he was standing at the throne of Hades.

Hades sat there, and the two gods made eye contact. It was a powerful moment, the silence in which the oldest and the youngest Olympian simply stared at each other. At last Hades spoke.

"Well, what do you want Dionysus?"

"I want to bring someone back to life."

Hades groaned. "It's always that with you. 'Bring me back to life! Hera tore me into pieces!' or 'Revive my mom. Zeus killed her on accident!' and 'Bring back my wife. Zeus said I could.' And blah, blah, blah. Well what now? Did Zeus allow you to bring back another person? Who is it this time?"

"My son." Hades rolled his eyes.

"Which one?"

But Dionysus knew that Hades knew. And he also knew that Hades would not allow it. Bringing Glen back would be against the Ancient Laws. But he persisted. "I must bring my son back."

"You cannot," said a voice. Dionysus turned around, unsurprised to see three old ladies with blue yarn. The leader of the Fates spoke.

"We cannot allow you to change the fate of someone who is predetermined by the prophecy."

"I can be persuasive," said Dionysus menacingly, but he knew it was hopeless. The Fates were outside the jurisdiction of the Olympians. The Fates merely shook their heads.

"The prophecy is complete. Glen Faulkner is dead. Your son is no more. Accept it."

But Dionysus was compelled to argue. "It's not done," he said. "What about the last line? _And yet in the end, still Madness Ensues_. What does that mean?"

The Fates were silent. Hades looked at them, suddenly curious. "Interesting," he murmured. "Radamanthus!" he called.

A ghost shimmered into existence. "Yes, my lord?"

Hades turned to his guests. "Radamanthus is a wise judge of the dead. Let us see if he can decipher the prophecy."

They repeated the whole prophecy. Radamanthus grunted thoughtfully. At last he spoke. "This prophecy uses a lot of symbolic representation, such as 'daughter of arrow,' 'son of vine,' and 'child of wine.' It then personifies Death, or the Underworld. So I think that Madness could very well be a person or physical being."

"Madness could be me then," said Dionysus. Radamanthus nodded thoughtfully.

"It's possible, but I don't think so. As a god, you are constantly here, living, immortal. Yet 'ensues' means to begin or at least to resume from where it left off. Take it with the meaning of Death and-,"

"It means that Glen should be alive," said Dionysus. "Madness is Glen."

The Fates shrugged, looking slightly uncomfortable. Hades raised a hand. "But then why is Glen dead? Why does this prophecy have a double meaning?"

Dionysus frowned. "You're right. But how is this possible? Only if you were to tamper with fate…," he looked at the Fates accusingly.

The Fates said nothing. Then the leader of them spoke. "We were indeed tampered with," she admitted.

"Only a god could do such a tampering," mused Hades. "But who?"

Dionysus stepped up and took something from the Fates. It was a thread, or at least a piece cut in two. He looked closely and examined it with his godly abilities. And then he knew.

Dionysus frowned, his temper dangerous. "I see…that person. And just how did that influence…ah." He looked at the Fates. "Can we agree that my son deserves to live?"

The Fates looked at each other. "Perhaps. We have revived heroes before, but let me warn you, only those who have accomplished the greatest of deeds can be allowed to stay alive."

One of the Fates took the thread from Dionysus. She made a knot, tying the two pieces together. "This is only a temporary fix."

"How long does he have until the knot undoes itself?"

"About two years." Dionysus nodded. Without another word he went to retrieve his son.

_Glen _

The Fields of Asphodel were…well forgetful I guess. I don't remember a lot. I might have been talking to someone, in some sort of dream talk. There was a flash of light, and then a person appeared.

Dad. But I felt so removed to care. I was just a shade, a lone spirit. I heard cries of indignation around me. Someone next to me, sobbing, broken. My dad's face looking emotionless.

And then I was gone. And then I was living.

I woke up. My throat dry, my heart pounding vigorously. I felt like the moment you surface from the water after swimming. It feels so nice and warm, and quiet in the water. But the moment you get out its cold and everything is lively and buzzing. I guess it's a nice feeling.

Breathing, I mean. I look at Lydia who is sitting next to me looking surprised. I manage a smile. "Hi."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Didn't See That Coming

There was a flash of light and then we were standing in the dining pavilion at Camp Half-blood. People looked at us. Ah, how familiar. Nothing says home like hostile campers glaring at you.

I smiled, surprised by the confidence I felt. "Well, we're back. Guess what? We killed the Chimera and his mom too. So we can all totally hang out."

More staring, and a lot less smiling. I held up my hands. "Guys, it's cool now. I'm done with the quest, so I good now."

"You still killed a person," muttered Lydia.

"Shut up," I whispered. Chiron clambered over, with a look of both apprehension and relief. Hard to pull off in one expression.

"Glen, Lydia, Argus! You're all safe! And extremely healthy."

"Apollo," said Lydia. "He worked some healing on us."

Chiron nodded. "Yes, yes. Well," he said, beaming. "I knew you could do it."

I shook my head. "Chiron, please. I just got ripped to shreds by the Chimera a few hours ago. And on this quest a lot of people have been brutally honest about how stupid I am. SO let's just cut to the chase. You didn't think we would make it."

"I thought you were dead," confirmed Chiron. He looked apologetic. "Anyways, I'm sure your father is happy to see you."

Sitting at his regular table, Dionysus was back in pudgy man form. He rolled his eyes. "Glen, how wonderful and surprising it is to see you. Surprising, so very surprising. I haven't seen you in ages. So surprised."

"I get the point."

"Oh, good." With that, we ate for a while. The dining hall was surprisingly quiet. I looked at them.

"Why no talking?" Chiron looked at me sadly.

"Glen, while killing the Chimera was an incredibly brave thing to do, you still killed Larry. There's no getting past that. You were supposed to die to atone, and when you didn't…"

I knew what he meant. No matter what I did, this was still my fault. Larry was still dead. With a heavy heart I got up. "I'm going to take a walk."

From the Apollo table Lydia got up. I looked at her. "Alone." And I did.

The forest. So natural and tranquil. I could just get lost here forever. I sighed, contemplating what to do now. And then I remembered. Adrian. I should go visit him. But then fear crept into my heart. What if he was still scared of me?

I strolled around and then made it to a familiar clearing. In the center was a tree. I stopped, shocked. A dead tree.

And I knew that a dead tree meant nothing to most people. But I had seen this particular one before. It was a jasmine tree. There was a knife planted in the trunk. I touched the dead bark.

A form materialized, and my heart lurched. Under the dark moonlight, I was holding the dead body of Jasmine the dryad. I had no love for her, but who would do such a thing? I looked at the knife in the tree. Maybe if I took it out and showed it to Chiron. There might be fingerprints, or something that a child of Hecate could use to find the killer.

And then a figure tackled me from behind. Before I could react a hand was on my neck. I looked at the person. And gasped (for air).

It was Adrian. The wind suddenly blew and the leaves rustled. I looked into his eyes, stunned by the steely look in his eyes. I made out a word.

"Why?" Adrian smiled tightly, and sweat beaded his forehead.

"You never understood. Now die." He squeezed, strangling me. I tried to fight, but he had me pinned down. At last, desperation got the better of me.

I had died once. I refused to do so again, so soon. There were things I needed to do, like seeing my mom. My purple aura appeared, and without thinking I broke his wrist.

Adrian howled, letting go. I got up and moved away from him. I looked at him. "Why?"

He snarled at me. "You don't understand. You need to die right here and now. No one was supposed to see the knife."

"But why? Why kill Jasmine?" Adrian pulled at his hair with his good hand. The one I had broken last time. Must have gotten better.

"You have to die," he repeated, more to himself than me. "That's the only way. I can convince the camp that you killed her." He threw something in the air. A powder. Immediately the substance started sparking up and shot out a bright red flare.

I moved and grabbed Adrian by the collar. "Stop this."

But Adrian just smiled crookedly. "Who are they going to believe? A killer who broke my hand or me?"

"What's your motive?" Adrian scowled.

"I didn't want to kill her, but she saw. And she threatened to tell everyone. I couldn't let that happen. She had to go."

"What did she see?"

"Larry."

I was frozen, my mind stumbling on half formulated thoughts. Adrian broke free from my grasp and pushed me back.

"They won't catch me. I got my revenge. Larry is dead."

I stared. "But I killed Larry."

Adrian just looked at me. I stared back. My eyes narrowed. "Who killed Larry?"

Adrian gave a wild laugh. I looked at him, and the Red Beast surfaced up. I was ready to snap his neck.

But I didn't. I knew I couldn't let myself do it. If I killed him than that would only mean that I was as bad as he was.

Adrian laughed again. "Oh, you killed him alright. As good as dead. I just enjoyed the last few seconds of his life."

I was no longer angry; just disgusted. I could hear campers in the distance, trying to find the source of the flare. "You sicken me," I said. "Leave and don't come back."

"Or what?" asked Adrian.

I took off the pine cone and it transformed. I planted the thyrsus into the ground. "Or I'll get mad."

Something about my tone must have made Adrian realize that he was crossing the line. He turned and ran. But nature and the Fates had another plan. The wind rustling grew louder, and I could hear the trees.

They were screaming. It was more awful than Echidna. The angry shrieks of gentle nature. _Tree killer! Tree killer!_

Adrian ran into the forest and time seemed to slow down. A big tree loomed above him. A large branch snapped. It was over quickly from that point. I could only stare in horror as I heard a large snap come from Adrian. Then he fell, his body at an odd angle.

The campers came. They looked at me, and drew there weapons. They thought I was the killer. I tried to protest.

"Wait-no-,"

A camper glared at me. "Killer." Chiron stumbled forward. He looked at me with horror.

I felt weak. "I didn't do it." But there was no way they were going to believe in me.

"Stop," called a voice. "He's innocent. I saw." Heads turned, to a familiar satyr lumberjack.

"Bough?" I said. The satyr smiled. He looked at the campers.

"I saw what happened and I know that Glen Faulkner is not at fault. It's the truth. I swear it on the Styx." Seeing as the Styx did not destroy him, Bough's word was good.

There was a quiet dissension among the crowd. At last Annabeth came forth. "There's a better way to know what happened," she announced. She looked at me. "Follow me."

The Cabin Fifteen belonged to Hypnos. After all the shock, I was ready to do some sleeping. Annabeth woke up Clovis and quickly explained everything. Clovis got up, yawned, and cracked his knuckles.

"Right, let's see if you can remember." He did something, and I was asleep. I dreamed, and I remembered.

I saw myself in my berserk state charging through campers in capture the flag, entering the clearing. But then something happened. Interrupting my dream, a Titan in a tuxedo appeared.

Prometheus winked at me. "Here's a favor to you, Glen. A compilation of events."

And then my dream rewinded, but it went beyond my memories and switched point of views.

I was at the clearing, but before I had charged in. Adrian and Larry were standing together. Adrian spoke.

"Hey, brute."

Larry turned to him. "What's that, punk?"

Adrian smiled. "Aren't you just a fine little hero. I bet your dad's so proud of you. Yeah right. You're just a weak little bully."

Larry turned red. "Shut up."

But Adrian only smiled louder and I realized what he was doing. He was manipulating Larry. "You're a coward, Larry. You daddy's probably wondering how a sorry loser like you is his son-,"

"I'm going to kill you."

"And what about your mom? She's in jail, I heard. You're just trash, Larry."

That was too far, and Larry knew it. He grabbed Adrian and roared into his ear. "You little-,"

Then I burst into the clearing. I knew how it played out. Adrian set it up so I thought Larry was going to hurt him. He made himself the victim, Larry the villain. I watched in horror as my past self went into a rage.

I didn't want to see it, but the truth compelled me to. I watched as I pounded Larry, and then as he fell. I had charged to the flag, but the dream's point of view stayed with Larry. Larry gasped, and I knew I had done some serious damage. He needed help, immediately.

Adrian grabbed at the knife I had in my pocket, but my past self knocked him down and broke his arm, oblivious. Adrian howled, but then let out a satisfied smile. With a broken arm, he looked even more like the victim.

And he had the knife. Larry looked at Adrian in horror. "Please…," he said, helpless. "Help…me."

Adrian laughed. "Are you in pain, Larry? Scared? Well then, good for you. How does it feel to be the weak one?" Larry sobbed.

Adrian's voice turned venomously soft. "Bad Glen, look how dangerous he is. He did this to you, and more importantly, he broke my arm. I'll end the pain." Larry tried to move but he couldn't. Adrian plunged the knife in.

I woke up. Annabeth stared at me, shocked. Clovis was pale. No doubt Prometheus's favor to me extended to them as well. I looked at them grimly. "Come on, guys. We need to make a shroud for someone."


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Loose Ends Get Tied (End)

It was cruel, but it happened. As Adrian's shroud was being burnt he was claimed. Silver scales rose above the shroud; the symbol of Nemesis. I had had a suspicion that Adrian was her son. Must have been the whole overkill Larry for revenge thing that really gave me a clue.

No one had much to say. Adrian was too quiet to make a mark on the camp, and no one really remembered him enough to say anything meaningful. His eulogy was a bleak word from Chiron, and that was all. It made me think though. Had I not come back, what would my eulogy have been?

I was a little afraid to know the answer. It was sad though. Somewhere inside me I still believed that Adrian was a nice kid. After the shroud was burnt, campers dispersed quietly to their activities. People paid no attention to me. It made me smile. That was the nicest they had been for quite a while. Lydia walked up to me.

"So," she said.

"So," I responded. She rolled her eyes.

"What now?" I shrugged. I hadn't really thought about it. I was in neutral territory now, and it just felt odd. Lydia gave me an understanding look.

"Look, Glen. You've been through a lot. We've been through a lot. But it's not the end."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" I grumbled. "I have two years to live." Even as I said that statement I felt a cold chill.

Lydia smiled gently, and I took me off guard. I didn't know that she was capable of looking so nice. And pretty. And understanding. And pretty.

Thankfully, Bough came to my rescue. He patted me on the back. "Been a long time since we talked, kid."

Lydia laughed, and smirked. "I'll leave you two to your manly woodsman talk now. And Glen, remember, if you need help than call me. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."

She left, and I talked to Bough. I went for the blunt approach. "You're not angry at me for burning down your forest?"

He shrugged. "Technically, the empousa did it. On the other hand, you attacked her, causing her to burn down my forest."

An uncomfortable moment. Bough went misty eyed, and I had a vague impression of Lau when he talked about Jasmine. Who was now also dead. Ouch. Bough talked again.

"I…I've been dwelling in that forest for too long. Thought it would ease my grief, but it didn't." The same faraway look and I wondered what grief he was talking about. I didn't have the nerve to ask as his hatchet/chainsaw was on his body.

"I've decided to be a protector. I'm going to help the nature spirits, and I'm going to help half-bloods. Kids like you shouldn't have to go through such hardships." That was nice. There was nothing more reassuring than Paul Bunyan the goat at one's side.

He went away, into the forest. I was at a complete loss at what to do. Seeing as I was doing nothing, I might as well visit people. I went to Argus.

I found him at the pine tree feeding Peleus the dragon. Apollo had healed Argus quite nicely, so there was no problem. I sat down on a rock. Argus smiled, but continued to tend Peleus.

It was quiet, the two of us satisfied with each others' company. At last I asked a question that had been on my mind for a while. "Argus, why did you go on the quest with me?"

There was a moment. Argus took out a paper and wrote something. There were two lines. The first line said TRUTH:

The second line said _I KNEW_. I looked at him, stunned for a moment. "You knew that I didn't kill Larry?"

There was a nod. "But why?" I asked. My voice came out slightly whiny, a brief blip of self pity on my part. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

He only looked at me with all of his eyes, and my skin prickled. He wrote something again. _What have you gained?_

I stared. What had I gained from the quest? A two year deadline, literally, and a lot of dead people. But during the time when I fought the Chimera, I had been empowered by that strange anger. That feeling when Lydia had her arm broken. Maybe I did gain something.

I looked at Argus. "Feel free to quest with me, anytime." Argus smiled, but he gestured at the camp. I had a vague idea that he was telling me that his job was to watch over the camp.

I looked at him straight in the eye, which took me a second to pick which ones. "Two years. I'll tell you what I gained." Argus smiled.

I could count the number of gods I had met with one hand. And then another one visited me, though I can't say I was glad to see her.

A woman with black hair and pale skin materialized next to me. I was in the forest again, an hour after talking to Argus.

The woman was beautiful, but her eyes had a type of spiteful darkness to it. I bowed down. Lydia told me that doing so was respectful, and I kind of didn't want to bear the wrath of the gods again.

The goddess smiled. "I hope my son wasn't too rude about trying to kill you in the forest yesterday."

"Oh," I said, getting up. "You're Nemesis."

"And the respect vanishes," said Nemesis, laughing. A scale appeared next to her. Pebbles from the forest began to fly onto the scales, balancing it.

I found myself glaring at her. I had the notion that she caused Adrian to do what he did. Gods must have sensing powers, because Nemesis raised her hands.

"Hey," she said. "Don't blame me. Adrian wanted revenge, and I gave it to him."

"And what about the nature spirits that killed him? Did you help them too?" I meant that to anger her.

To my horror, she shrugged. "Revenge is impartial. I cannot take sides without ultimately maintaining balance."

There was a moment where no sound occurred except for the rocks stacking on the scales. I looked at her, a rather new feeling forming in me. I had been angry a whole lot, but the emotion I was feeling right now was pure hate. "And you call yourself a mother."

Nemesis shrugged again. I wanted to punch her. "Call me what you may, but I'm not evil. I'm a force of nature, after all. The world is constantly trying to reach homeostasis, to even out the cosmic forces. I am that great balance."

I shook my head. "You're not the scales. You're the rocks. You just keep on dishing out your revenge, but it's not balancing out, not really. And you know what happens when all your revenge piles up too high?"

The scales quivered from the sheer weight of the rocks. Then one of the sides snapped and was sent crashing down on the forest floor.

Nemesis was no longer smiling. Instead, a look of genuine anger was on her face. "How dare you insult me," she said. "I'll get my revenge, Faulkner. I always do."

With that she was gone.

My day did not end though. I had hoped that I could peacefully retire to my cabin, but I wasn't that lucky. Minutes after Nemesis disappeared, Nico jumped out of the shadows.

"Ack," he said, stumbling. "I got here a minute ago, but Nemesis suspended me in a state of shadow. Worst feeling ever."

"Nico," I said, taken aback. "Why are you here?"

Nico looked at me. "The Furies refuse to tell me what happened. They said it doesn't matter anymore. I've been trying to search for you guys, but you kept on moving. One minute you were in Arizona, the next you back here."

I shrugged. "Sorry. God travel tends to throw people off." I gave him the spiel of my adventure. The whole thing, including the part about me killing/not killing a person.

Nico was frowning at the end of the story. "You aura…your life energy has an expiration date. Like milk."

"Don't compare my life energy to milk," I grumbled. It occurred to me then. There were still some amends to make, and I had to do them now. "Nico," I said. "Can I talk to someone dead?"

"Sure. Who?"

I swallowed. "A kid called Larry."

The sun was finally setting. I'm not going to say anything about that conversation. Too personal; too uncomfortable. I had walked to the Big House, and my legs were sore. I had walked around the whole day talking to people. Great.

On the porch, my father was sitting there. I pulled up a seat. "What are you doing?"

"Playing pinochle."

"Can I play?"

He sneered. "Fine, but I am going to destroy you. Annihilate the very molecules of which you are. Then I'm going to-,"

I grimaced. "You can play by yourself." There was some grumbling. Silence. I was an impatient person, but my dad beat me to it.

"You have two years to live. Why are you not begging for my help?" Apparently the bluntness came from his side too.

"Two years is a long time."

"I'm immortal."

"I'm not."

I watched the sun set. Two years was pretty short. I was fourteen now, and I couldn't even imagine dying so early. Well I did a few days ago, but that's not the point. I had two years to do something worthy of letting me live. Not exactly specific.

And yet I felt better than I had before I knew I was a half-blood. I had done things beyond imagination. Two years of adventure. Despite my situation, I grinned.

"Challenge accepted."

Author's Note: I want to thank all of you for being so kind and supportive of my writing. I also would like to say that I am grateful for every review I have gotten, and that as much as I cherish reviews I also appreciate the quiet readers. Thank you for reading my story, and I hope that you will read my other ones in the future.


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